


Insight

by Aerith_The_Evenstar



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Expect slow updates after a certain point, I'll add more tags as I think of them, Otherwise this story stays faithful to canon, Some events deviant from the original game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-08-14 14:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20193862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerith_The_Evenstar/pseuds/Aerith_The_Evenstar
Summary: She had lived in the Shinra Building for most of her life due to her condition and spent the last 20 years following a routine. However, that all changes when she spots the red wolf-lion-like creature in Hojo's lab, leading to the routine she had followed for so long to be altered beyond her imagination.





	1. Life In The Shinra Building

**Author's Note:**

> Although I have this story over on ff.net, I thought I'd bring it over here to AO3 for others to enjoy while waiting for updates on my other stories.
> 
> Like I stated over on ff.net for this story, this originally started as an idea that I wasn't sure I wanted to make into a story, but a friend of mine helped me brainstorm this concept into an actual plot and encouraged to go through with it. This story will take place during the main game and will follow my OC. Seeing as the Final Fantasy VII Remake is going to be a thing, this story might be rewritten in the future, but not before I actually finish this story first. A "remake" of this story might come in the future and will be an interesting exercise in creativity and how I got about retconning things.
> 
> As of posting this chapter, I only have four chapters written, so once Chapter 4 has been posted updates will be slow.

She sat at her desk, reading one of the many strategy books she'd been given. But at the time she couldn't seem to focus on the words at the moment despite having read that very book many times in the past. She ended up placing the book down before turning to her right where a window was located, showing a view of the upper plates of Midgar as the sun set on the large city, along with the light shining in through the gap that the Sector 7 plate had once been earlier that day.  
  
To think she had once been part of that world outside her window, for she had not always lived in the medical wing of the Shinra Building. Once, she had lived in the slums with her parents when she was nothing more than a little girl, but those were days she barely remembered now. She used to write to them all the time in order to keep in touch with them, but in recent years she'd given up doing so, seeing no point in continuing.  
  
What was the point in continuing to write letters when the chances of ever seeing her parents again were very slim? She had been there for so long that she couldn't even remember what they looked like. She couldn't recall the warmth of her mother's embrace or the sound of her father's laugh. She couldn't remember the happiness she once felt when she was still with them.  
  
Nothing more than a distant memory…  
  
The only thing she could remember of them was when she was first submitted to the hospital, and what led up to her being here.  
  
Back when she was 5, she had been diagnosed with a disease (she couldn't recall what it was called), along with only having a few years left to live. She remembered her parents being distraught over being given this news, but a day or so later they were approached by Shinra, claiming to have a experimental procedure that could save her life. Her parents, being desperate to save the life of their only daughter, agreed to have her go through the procedure despite the chances of her surviving and filled out the paperwork before she was taken. The procedure ended up mostly being a success in saving her life, but the doctors and scientists informed her that she needed to remain in the hospital wing so they could monitor her health in case any side effects might appear and they could catch them early, all while they developed a better cure and the endeavor of improving it to be more effective.  
  
That was 20 years ago…  
  
Now here she was, staring out the window of the room provided to her by Shinra, wanting more than anything to see her parents again.  
  
But again, what were the chances of that ever happening?  
  
And even if she were able to, would they recognize the woman she'd become? She knew that she was different from how she was as a little girl, and that was something she couldn't deny. But she couldn't help but wonder if they forgot what she looked like.  
  
She gazed at her reflection in the window, her gray eyes staring back. Dark brown bangs fell in her eyes as the rest of her hair framed the sides of her face, reaching to her knees. She was dressed in the simple white shin-length dress that she was given to wear by the doctors, the short sleeves reaching mid bi-cep and loose in an almost bell bottom fashion, while on her feet were white flats.  
  
She hated that her skin was so pale from having been stuck inside for so long. It was a faint memory, but she recalled a time when her skin had more color and looked healthy, her hair being a brighter shade, and her eyes shining bright with hope. The reflection staring back at her was none of those things.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to her room slid open and in the reflection of the window she saw one of the nurses walk in. She sighed, knowing it was that time again.  
  
Time for another injection.  
  
She followed the nurse out of her room and down the hallway, knowing that she was being taken to wherever Hojo was in the Science Department on the same floor (though what separated the Medical Wing from the Science Department was a high security door that only a few had clearance for).  
  
Originally she had only seen Hojo for exercises to evaluate her mental skills and such, but in recent years he had gotten more involved in her life (specifically concerning her health) by giving her weekly check-ups. Though she would never show it, the older man scared her, ever since…  
  
No, she wouldn't think about _him.  
  
_Not when she was about to see Hojo.  
  
As soon as she was brought to Hojo's Lab the nurse left her there, the owner himself reading over a clipboard and seeming as if he didn't know she were there, but she knew better than to assume that.  
  
"So…how do you feel today?" He asked, not once looking up from the clipboard in his hand.  
  
"Professor Hojo, with all due respect, I fail to see the point in answering that question." She replied.  
  
Every time she came in to see him, Hojo would always ask the same question, as if expecting a change in her demeanor or something.  
  
Hojo lifted his beady eyes from the clipboard and grinned, almost as if he knew what she was thinking or was able to guess her line of thought.  
  
"Humor me."  
  
"I feel normal."  
  
The older man frowned at this, not satisfied with her answer.  
  
"Elaborate."  
  
She quietly sighed, she should've known better than to think she'd get away with giving such a simple answer.  
  
"I don't feel any different than the last time I visited. I don't know what you're looking for, but that's the only answer I have for you."  
  
"I see…" Was Hojo's response before going over to a counter where he kept his supplies.  
  
She took this time to look around the room as she waited, becoming curious upon seeing the red creature trapped in the glass containment unit nearby. As she got closer to the unit the creature lifted his (at least she assumed it was a he) head up and fixed her with his ochre colored eye (the right eye having been scarred that it couldn't be opened), and it continued to watch her cautiously as she knelt down in front of the glass so that she was eye leveled with him. The creature himself looked as if to be a cross between a lion and a wolf (she couldn't decide which he resembled more of the two), the end of his tail being alight with a strong flame and fur that had a mixture of dark red and orange. In the thin brown mane on his head were beads and two feathers, along with the creature wearing earrings and what appeared to be bracelets on his legs. There were black brands on his legs, but the most noticeable was the "XIII" tattooed above his left front leg.  
  
She couldn't help but find him fascinating, not having ever seen such a creature before (at least not in any of the books she'd been given to read), and it was when she lifted her gaze to look at his good eye that she realized he must've been observing her as well. What surprised her was the amount of intelligence she could see in his eye, and she knew that this proud looking creature was more than just a wild animal.  
  
"What is this?" She asked, looking over her shoulder in the direction Hojo was in.  
  
"That is merely a specimen I plan on using for an upcoming experiment."  
  
She turned back to look at the creature when she heard him growling and saw that he was baring his teeth. She'd been right in assuming his intelligence because he seemed to be capable of understanding what Hojo said, and it was apparent that he didn't like the idea of being an experiment.  
  
"He doesn't seem to like the idea of being an experiment, as well as being trapped in that container." She noted.  
  
"He's a mindless animal, not a pet."  
  
"His eye tells me otherwise, Professor. He's more intelligent than you're giving him credit."  
  
She turned around in time to see Hojo whip around to face her, his eyes narrowing in a silent warning that told her that he didn't approve of her opinion.  
  
"Quit talking nonsense of things you cannot understand! If I'm not mistaken, you were taught not to consider such notions!"  
  
She turned around and lowered her gaze to the floor, knowing that Hojo's words were true. Even as a child she was discourage from being imaginative in any way, and one could only imagine how that could affect a person's childhood. If anything, she really didn't have much of a childhood (assuming there was anything to begin with) once she started living in the Shinra Building.  
  
Only more proof…  
  
Lifting her gaze up to look at the red creature, she lightly placed a hand on the glass surface. She would've given him a reassuring smile, but given her circumstances she couldn't.  
  
"I know what it's like to be trapped." She said quietly, watching as the creature turned his head so that his left eye was looking at her. "You constantly think of those you care about, wondering if you'll ever see them again. I've been wondering that for the past 20 years."  
  
"I suggest you get over here, woman. I don't have all day." Hojo called, growing impatient.  
  
She sighed at this, not at all looking forward to the injection the old scientist had prepared for her.  
  
"Don't forget those who care about you, even if it seems like you might never see them again." She said before standing up. "Don't be like me…"  
  
With that she turned away from the containment unit before making her way over to where Hojo was waiting impatiently for her. She held her arm out to him as soon as she stood before him and the old scientist didn't hesitate to inject the mysterious serum into her body. She was relieved once it was over, but it was short lived when she suddenly felt strange.  
  
She couldn't breathe!  
  
Why couldn't she breathe?!  
  
She clutch at her throat on reflex, but her problems didn't end there. Her hearing soon became distorted to the point that the only thing she could hear was her own heart beating loudly in her own ears. She knew that other people entered the lab, but she didn't pay them much mind as she started to panic (something she rarely did).  
  
What was happening?!  
  
She soon became lightheaded and before she knew it everything went dark.  
  
When she came to she found herself surrounded by the scientists, and it was at that time that they realized she was awake. She noticed that they seemed excited about something as one of them came up to her.  
  
"We have good news for you." They told her. "You're cured!"  
  
She took a sharp intake of breath at this, feeling as if this was all some sort of dream.  
  
She was cured?  
  
After 20 years of staying in this place and being used as a sort of guinea pig for the scientists to use as they developed a better cure for her disease, she was finally cured?  
  
She couldn't believe it, and yet at the same time it was actually happening.  
  
That meant she could finally go home and see her parents!  
  
"I want to go home." She suddenly said, her declaration caught everyone's attention.  
  
"You can't."  
  
"What do you mean by that? You said I'm cured. I should be able to go home now."  
  
"Calm her down." Hojo simply said, as if he hadn't heard her words.  
  
"I want to go home! I want to see my parents! I haven't seen them in so long!"  
  
Suddenly she felt a sting in her neck before becoming relaxed. She felt a pair of arms dragging her out of the lab and before she knew it, she found herself laying on the bed in her room staring up at the white ceiling. She sighed before closing her eyes, knowing there was nothing she could do in her current state, but she couldn't stop the thoughts in her head.  
  
She was cured.  
  
She wanted desperately to go home and see her parents.  
  
But they wouldn't let her.  
  
Why wouldn't they let her see them?  
  
Hadn't she waited long enough?  
  
It was at that point that she felt a presence in her room.  
  
"I knew you would come eventually." She said softly, knowing who it was without looking.  
  
She could hear their footsteps as they approached the bed and soon felt it dipped slightly as they sat down at the end.  
  
"It's been awhile since your last visit." She told him as she opened her eyes.  
  
"Sorry about that." He apologized, his familiar voice giving her some comfort. "You've…changed since I last saw you."  
  
She let out a short humorless laugh, not at all surprised by this.  
  
"Of course I have. I grew up." She turned her head to look in his direction, noting his appearance. "You haven't changed a bit. You never seem to do so."  
  
And she was right. He hadn't changed at all, looking the same as the first day she met him. Always wearing the same black business suit and tie, same hairstyle, same everything really.  
  
Not a single change.  
  
At this he seemed to avert his eyes, almost as if he was guilty of something. Regardless of whether or not that was true, she didn't bother asking him about it. It was something of a mutual agreement between them; if there was something either of them didn't want to discuss, they would dropped the topic and move on to the next. That was something she appreciated of him at times.  
  
She sighed quietly before turning her gaze back to the ceiling, knowing that she'd have to be the one to change the subject now.  
  
"I got another injection today." She started, and out of the corner of her eye she could see him lift his head a bit. "Unlike the others I've had in the past, I had the worst reaction to it. Apparently I've been cured by their latest iteration."  
  
"Are you feeling okay?" He asked, turning to face her.  
  
She glanced at him, taking note of the concern that showed on his face. Why was he so concerned about her wellbeing all of a sudden?  
  
"I don't feel any different than I normally do. I…think Hojo did something to me when I passed out after being injected."  
  
She was surprised when he suddenly got up from the bed before walking the few steps it took to reach where her head was laying on the pillow, gazing down at her with that concerned look of his before kneeling down.  
  
"How do you know? What makes you think he did something to you?"  
  
His questions confused her, or at least his concern did.  
  
"I don't know how I know, I just do. I just have a feeling that he did. I wish I could just tell you more than that, but I can't."  
  
He was silent at this, suddenly looking troubled before he sat on the floor with his back leaning against the side of her bed. She watched as he balled his right hand into a fist before slamming it repeatedly on the ground. It was only then that she realized he was angry about something, almost as if he hadn't liked what he'd just heard. Not hesitating in the slightest, she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, causing him to tense up from the contact.  
  
Rarely did such contact ever occur between them, but when it did it was the strangest thing.  
  
After all, weren't imaginary friends intangible?  
  
Nevertheless, she didn't like seeing him looking so upset when he was usually composed, which was why she felt the need to intervene.  
  
"Stop." She simply told him.  
  
At first he didn't seem to move at all, but after a few minutes he lowered his raised fist so that it lay limply at his side. He hung his head, looking almost defeated over something. She didn't know what to make of his body language, but something about it bothered her and she couldn't figure out why. Seeing that he wasn't upset she felt it was safe to remove her hand from his shoulder.  
  
"I don't understand why you're upset, but you're acting as if this is your fault somehow."  
  
He stayed quiet, and she wondered what he was thinking about.  
  
"I want you to try and escape from this place." He suddenly said, lifting his head.  
  
She stared at the back of his head, confused by his words.  
  
"Escape?" She asked. "Why?"  
  
"I don't think it's safe for you to be here any longer." He then turned his body around so that he could face her, his face set with a determined look. "I don't care how you go about it, but I want you to get out of here."  
  
She turned her head away from his face to stare at the ceiling.  
  
The idea of being free…  
  
It sounded so tempting.  
  
She wanted it so bad right now.  
  
But…  
  
"I can't." She whispered. "As much as I want to leave, I know I can't. What would I do? Where would I go?"  
  
"What you do is your choice. And it doesn't matter where you go, just as long as you get as far away from Midgar as possible."  
  
"You make it sound so easy, but you and I both know that isn't the case."  
  
She heard him sigh at this.  
  
"You can't keep following routine forever." He told her. "One of these days something will change and you won't know how to handle it."  
  
"What if I want to just follow routine?"  
  
"Tell me: is that truly your own choice or was it merely what someone else has told you to do?"  
  
She thought about his question. Now that he brought it up, she started to wonder if it was her choice to follow routine or not. But the more she thought about it, the more she got confused. She felt doubt.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Out of the corner of her eye she could see him turn his head away from her.  
  
"You can't let them keep you here, Amalthea. What they're doing to you isn't right."  
  
"What would you know?" She asked, turning to him. "It's not like you're here on a regular basis."  
  
At this his head turned quickly to face her.  
  
"I know enough." He said darkly, his eyes narrowing at her.  
  
With that he suddenly disappeared, leaving her alone in her Spartan-like room. She sighed before staring up at the ceiling.  
  
Amalthea.  
  
That was her name, the only thing she could remember of her previous life.  
  
What if her friend was right?  
  
What if she wasn't safe anymore?  
  
Amalthea had no reason to doubt his words. He'd been there for her ever since she started living here, though his visits were random at best. His visits were the only thing that gave her a shred of happiness and were something she'd always looked forward to. But never had they ended one of their conversations on such a bad note before, and she felt horrible that she was the cause of it.  
  
What if this was the last time she saw him?  
  
She would never see him again if that was the case.  
  
She didn't want that.  
  
She was lonely enough as it was, and now her only friend had left because he was mad at her.  
  
'_It's my fault._' She thought.  
  
Feeling drained, Amalthea closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off into slumber.


	2. The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amalthea wakes up, only to discover a lack of people around, but the door leading out of the medical wing is open enough for her to get through. Will leaving prove to be change she needs to escape her routine?

Amalthea found herself waking up all of a sudden, much to her confusion as she sat up in bed fully alert. She didn't understand why she was in such a state, and it was as if something had roused her from her sleep. Even now her eyes were searching her room, but found nothing to warrant her reaction.  
  
Getting out of bed she went over to the door, and as she got closer she noticed a distinct lack of noise from the other side; there was always some form of sound outside her door, from the footsteps of someone walking through the hall either doing patrol or heading to their destination to the sound of people talking. The fact she didn't hear anything concerned her.  
  
Something wasn't right.  
  
When she opened the door, her suspicions were confirmed.  
  
Not only was there a lack of sound, but a lack of people as well.  
  
Something wasn't right.  
  
She shivered, rubbing her exposed arms as the cold air caused bumps to form on her skin. The hallways weren't usually this cold, making it apparent that something must've happened.  
  
But what?  
  
Amalthea headed back into her room, going into her closet to pull out a white bed sheet which she wrapped around her shoulders. It didn't do much to keep her warm, but it was better than nothing. She was about to leave when her eyes caught sight of the clipboard hanging on the wall by the door, and taking it off she looked over the information on the first page.  
  
**Amalthea Harper  
****Gender: Female  
****Age: 25  
****Height: 5'5  
****Birthdate: April 15, 1982  
****Birthplace: Midgar, Sector 8 Slums  
****Blood Type: A  
  
**She stopped reading, knowing there wasn't any benefit in continuing further at this time; she knew that the information on the first page had been updated since her last birthday. Maybe she would take the clipboard with her, if not for some form of self-defense. Cautiously, she went out into the hallway, clutching the clipboard in her left hand while her right hand held the bed sheet close around her, following it to the door that led out of the Medical Wing.  
  
What she didn't expect was to find the sliding door dented with only a small gap underneath it.  
  
Upon further examination, Amalthea noticed that the gap appeared to be big enough for her to crawl underneath. With that thought in mind she lowered herself to the floor and was somewhat excited to know that she was able to get through. But that small amount of excitement was short-lived when she spotted the trail of blood before her, seeming to head in the direction to her right and through the nearby door in that same direction, the trail having originated from the curved hallway to her left that led to Hojo's lab. The sight of the blood unnerved her a bit, as well as the dismembered body of a scientist slumped against the wall opposite her with-!  
  
She had to look away momentarily, the details too gruesome for her to describe, and soon questions appeared in her head.  
  
Where had the blood come from?  
  
Who did this?  
  
Was this the reason why no one was around?  
  
Amalthea shook her head to clear her thoughts. Whatever did this was likely still in the building, and judging by how the trail of blood led to the door on her right, it probably was best that she headed away from whatever did this. She got to her feet before heading in the direction of Hojo's lab, remembering that there was an elevator in that very room that led to the floor below.  
  
She couldn't help but be reminded of what _he _said to her not that long ago, how _he _wanted her to escape from the Shinra Building and Midgar (possibly by any means, she assumed). Despite only being an imaginary friend, she knew he had been concerned about her safety, and she wished she hadn't said what she did to him. If she hadn't, maybe he'd be here to help her get out of this place.  
  
'_At least I'm getting out of here._' She thought.  
  
Amalthea passed through a doorway, almost stopping when she saw claw marks on the wall in front of her; only more proof that she had to get out of this place if whatever made those marks was still here. She veered left in the direction of the door leading to the lab, clutching the clipboard tightly. She was about to pass through the doorway and enter the lab when she spotted something red inside off to the right, only to recognize it as the red creature she'd seen earlier as she saw him sitting before the dead body of one of the scientists. Quickly, she darted back through the doorway to hide from the creature's sight, and she assumed that the creature might've had something to do with the dead scientist.  
  
'_No._' She thought, glancing at the nearby claw marks on the wall to her right. '_He doesn't seem like the one to make those. But what if…_'  
  
Her thoughts came to a halt when the faint sound of sniffing reached her ears, causing her to freeze in place. Her grip tightened on the clipboard in her hand. Was the red creature _sniffing_? She had to get away, especially if it picked up her scent! Maybe she should go back to her room and hope that neither the red creature or whatever had been responsible for the missing people would get her.  
  
"Come out. There's no use hiding at this point."  
  
What?  
  
Where had that voice come from?  
  
There was no one in the next room except the red creature.  
  
Unless…  
  
'_It couldn't be…_'  
  
Steeling her resolve Amalthea cautiously stepped out from her hiding place, making sure to keep her eyes on the red creature as she did so. She noticed how his good eye widened slightly upon seeing her, and it was safe to assume that he recognized her.  
  
"It's you."  
  
She was surprised, not at all having expected to hear the red creature talk. The only way she could describe it was being deep and soft, all the while having a certain calm undertone to it. The voice itself wasn't something she'd associate with the creature before her, yet at the same time it seemed only fitting.  
  
It was strange how she felt at ease, but no sooner had that thought crossed her mind did she put her guard up (despite the red creature showing no sign of hostility towards her), remembering what had happened.  
  
"Did you do this?" She asked.  
  
"No. The carnage you have seen so far was not my doing, but that of someone else." The red creature replied, confirming her suspicions. "I had gone ahead of the others in order to see where the trail ends."  
  
"Others?"  
  
As if in answer to her question the nearby elevator (which led to the floor below the current one she was on) opened before four people stepped out and started approaching.  
  
The first person (who appeared to be leading the others) was a young male, looking to be around 21 years old and stood at 5'7 in height. The outfit he wore was mainly black, consisting of a sleeveless turtleneck and pants that puffed out slightly, all while being held in place by the brown belt around his waist; from the belt were what looked like suspenders with the one of his left shoulder giving support to the pauldron. He wore brown boots and gauntlets on his hands, completing the overall outfit. His blonde hair was spiky, but what she found interesting were his eyes; at first they appeared to be blue, but there was a strange glow to them that almost mesmerized her. On his back was a large broadsword, and she couldn't help but wonder how a man such as himself was capable of wielding it, assuming that it weighed more than the wielder or the larger man standing near him.  
  
Speaking about the other man, he appeared to be 35 years old, being muscular as well as an intimidating 6'4 and dark-skinned. His outfit consisted of a black tank top worn underneath a brown vest (the sleeves looking as if they had been torn off, showing a clear view of the tattoo on his left arm) while the lower half of his torso had a strange looking harness or brace (she assumed) wrapped around as if to give him support. Around his waist was a belt that kept the dark green pants in place with a pack hanging from his left, while strapped around each thigh were more packs for whatever possessions he carried on his person, and large brown boots were on his feet. His black hair was cut in such a way that the top had more volume while the sides around his head were shaved, and on his right cheek were three scars; he had the early stages of a beard growing around his face. There was a gauntlet on his left hand, but as for his right hand there was none, for in its place was what looked to be a machine gun, and she presumed that he must've lost his original hand in some sort of accident (whatever said accident was, it wasn't her place to know).  
  
With the two men out of the way, that let the two women that were with them.  
  
The first woman appeared to be 20 years of age with a height of 5'4. Her outfit was an interesting one, consisting of a sleeveless white shirt (her breast size being…exceptionally…above average) exposing her midriff and a black miniskirt that was kept in place by suspenders, all the while showing off her legs; on her hands were red and black gloves that went up to her elbows (on her left elbow was a metal guard of sorts), as well as boots. Her long dark brown hair (that almost appeared black) fell below her waist and was tied near the end to have a sort of tail, and her eyes were a reddish brown.  
  
The last woman looked about 22 years and 5'3 in height, and it was her appearance that contrasted with the first woman. She wore a shin-length pink dress that buttoned up, and over that she wore a red short sleeved jacket; there were metal bracers on her wrists and brown boots covering her feet. Her brown hair was long (with large bangs framing her face), pulled back into a rope braid with a large pink ribbon tied at the base of the braid itself. Her eyes were an emerald green, giving off kindness or at least a sense of it.  
  
It had only taken her a few moments to take in the four people, and it was in that same amount time that the blonde haired man spotted her, his eyes narrowing and his stance becoming tense as his eyes regarded her. The others stopped as well, seeming to feel the same way, but not to the same extent as the sword wielder.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked, getting straight to the point.  
  
Suspicion.  
  
She wasn't the least bit surprised that the sword wielder was suspicious of her. She was in the same position as well given the circumstances. She glanced down at the clipboard she still help before returning her gaze to the blonde man.  
  
With her mind made up, Amalthea took a few steps forward before holding the clipboard out to him. At first his right hand twitched upon seeing her move, but then relaxed somewhat (if that's what it could be called) when he realized she wasn't going to do anything.  
  
"This is everything you need to know about me." She told him.  
  
"Why can't you just tell us yourself?" He asked.  
  
"It'd be faster if you just looked over the information yourself as opposed to my own words."  
  
He considered her words a moment before taking the clipboard from her, watching as the swordsman's blue eyes moved as they read the first page.  
  
Hmm... Maybe that's what she could call him since she didn't know who he was.  
  
Seeing as she didn't know any of their names, she might as well give them nicknames for the time being until she found out what they really were.  
  
As Swordsman was reading the information, both the dark haired woman (she'd call her Legs for now) and the woman wearing pink (Miss Pink) went over to look over his shoulders to look at what was written, while the taller man (Gun Arm) merely glimpsed at it. Amalthea watched as both Legs and Miss Pink's eyes widened in surprised at whatever they read before they turned to her.  
  
"You were experimented on?" Legs asked.  
  
"Unless you consider having trial medicine tested on a person as such, then no." Amalthea answered.  
  
"These papers seemed to indicate otherwise, at least after the first few initial pages that serve as hospital records." Swordsman stated. "Pretty clever of them to do that, actually."  
  
"What do you mean? Does it say what kind of experiments?"  
  
"Nothing specific, other than mostly saying 'no reaction' with only a few 'positive reactions' to whatever they did to you."  
  
Though she didn't show it, Amalthea was troubled by this. Had the doctors and scientists known that she wouldn't have looked past the first few pages on the clipboard? Had they really done more to her than just cured her disease?  
  
She didn't like this.  
  
Maybe her friend was right when he wanted her to leave while she still could.  
  
'_I'm sorry I doubted you._' She thought sadly.  
  
"Are you trying to leave?" She asked, getting the attention of the group.  
  
"Naturally." Swordsman replied.  
  
She took a deep breath before saying her next words.  
  
"Take me with you."  
  
"Now why would we do that?" Gun Arm asked.  
  
"Because I have no other means to do so. For one, I'm not familiar with the Shinra Building aside from this floor. If you read the information on that clipboard, you'll know that I've been living here for 20 years. I don't want to be here any longer."  
  
"No one does." The red creature said, speaking for the first time since the others arrived.  
  
"Cloud, we can't leave her here." Miss Pink said, turning towards Swordsman (whose name was apparently Cloud). "It wouldn't be right to do so."  
  
"But we have no way of knowin' if she's with Shinra." Gun Arm stated.  
  
"I can vouch for her." The red creature said. "From what I've observed earlier today, she has done nothing that would make me believe she is of ill intent."  
  
"Are you sure, Red XIII?" Cloud asked?  
  
"If you're doubtful of my words, then I will personally take responsibility for her myself, if only to set your minds at ease." Red XIII (how fitting?) looked towards the trail of blood. "As for our directive… It looks like it leads up…"  
  
Amalthea was a little surprised that the group Cloud led was following the blood trail, doing her best to suppress a shudder at the thought. Did they know what caused this?  
  
"Stick close to me." Red XIII told her.  
  
Heeding the red creature's words she made sure to stay close to him as she followed the others back the way she came from. She wasn't the least bit surprised by the curious glances the group made towards the damaged door that led to the Medical Wing.  
  
"That's the Medical Wing, where I was kept." She told them, answering their unspoken question. She also used it as an excuse to distract herself from the dead body nearby.  
  
"Looks like high security." Cloud commented after examining it.  
  
"That's because it was."  
  
Cloud turned to her, his eyes regarding her for a moment before turning his attention back to the blood trail they were following.  
  
"Let's keep going."  
  
As Cloud led their group, Amalthea couldn't help but noticed how the swordsman's gait looked familiar, as well as his outfit. Though it was only 5 years ago, she remembered having once seen a man having been dressed in a similar outfit, though there had been a slight difference between the two.  
  
Where Cloud had only one pauldron on his left shoulder, the other man had two, and he had worn black leather gloves as opposed to gauntlets. Another significant difference was their hair; while Cloud was blonde, the other had black hair, as well as seeming more cheerful than the stoic swordsman.  
  
But that was as far as the difference between the two went.  
  
Amalthea had been distracted by her own thoughts that she hadn't realized where the group had been going until she found herself standing with them in what she recalled as being the President's Office, with President Shinra slumped over his desk with what appeared to be a long katana having been stabbed in his back.  
  
A sight she found quite morbid.  
  
"He's dead... The leader of Shinra is dead." Gun Arm noted, seeming surprised by this.  
  
She watched as Legs ran around the desk in order to reach the dead man in order to get a closer look at the blade.  
  
"Then this sword must be..." Legs trailed off.  
  
"Sephiroth's!" Cloud finished for her, his tone sounding indignant.  
  
"...Sephiroth is alive?"  
  
Cloud nodded.  
  
"...Looks like it. Only Sephiroth can use that sword."  
  
Amalthea was confused by this.  
  
Who was this Sephiroth they were talking about?  
  
He must've done something bad if both Cloud and Legs current behavior was any indication.  
  
"Who cares who did it!?" Gun Arm enthusiastically exclaimed. "This is the end of Shinra now!"  
  
"Uh!"  
  
Everyone's attention was drawn to the direction the voice came from to see a short overweight man (with thinning gray hair and wearing a tan suit) having jumped out from behind the desk and tried to make a break for it, only for Cloud and Gun Arm catch him before he could get away. The man looked terrified as the two held him by the arms.  
  
"P, p, p, please, don't kill me!" He wailed.  
  
'_What a pitiful man._' She thought, frowning.  
  
"What happened?" Cloud demanded, causing the man to turn his attention to the swordsman.  
  
"Se...Sephiroth. Sephiroth came."  
  
"Did you see him? Did you see Sephiroth?"  
  
"Yeah, I saw him! With my own eyes!"  
  
"You really saw him?"  
  
"Uh! Would I lie at a time like this!? I heard his voice, too!" the overweight man whined. "Um, he said something about not letting us have the Promised Land."  
  
"Then does that mean the Promised Land really does exist and that Sephiroth's here to save it from Shinra?" Legs asked, having come back from the desk to join the others.  
  
"So he's a good guy then?" Gun Arms guessed.  
  
"Save the Promised Land? A good guy? No way!" Cloud replied, shaking his head. "It's not that simple! I know him! Sephiroth's mission is different!"  
  
It was at that time the overweight man managed to get himself free from Cloud and Gun Arm's hold before running away towards a door leading outside, and it wasn't until then that everyone heard a sound approaching. They all turned towards the large windows behind the desk in time to see a helicopter descending to land.  
  
"Rufus! &*%$! I forgot about him!" Gun Arm growled.  
  
"Who's that?" Legs asked.  
  
"Vice President Rufus. The President's son."  
  
"I wonder what kind of person he is..."  
  
"I've heard that no one's ever seen him bleed or cry." Miss Pink commented.  
  
"I heard that he's been assigned somewhere else for a long time..." Gun Arm said.  
  
"I only know his name." Red XIII stated.  
  
Amalthea watched as Cloud ran out the door the overweight man ran through, and upon following the others found that it led to a balcony located at the top of the Shinra Building where the helicopter had landed. By the time they reached the landing pad the group not only found the overweight man, but another man who she assumed was Rufus.  
  
He looked young in appearance (though was probably around if not older than Cloud), having short blonde hair and blue eyes. His outfit was a white business suit with a matching jacket worn over a black turtleneck shirt.  
  
"So... So Sephiroth was actually here. ...By the way," Rufus trailed off before turning to face them, all while the overweight man ran towards the nearby helicopter. "just who are you?"  
  
"I'm Cloud, ex-SOLDIER, First Class!" Cloud answered.  
  
"I'm from AVALANCHE!" Gun Arm replied.  
  
AVALANCHE?  
  
"Me too!" Legs responded.  
  
"A flower girl from the slums." Miss Pink supplied.  
  
"A Research Specimen." Red XIII stated.  
  
Amalthea thought she'd go unnoticed, but then Rufus turned his cold eyes to her.  
  
"And you?" He asked.  
  
She didn't know what she could tell this man about herself, seeing as there wasn't much to say. Growing up she was led to believe she was a patient, but after having found out she'd been an experiment the whole time, she didn't know what to believe.  
  
Who was she, aside from her own name?  
  
"_**I'm…nobody, really." **_Were the words she recalled her friend telling her once upon a time.  
  
"I'm nobody."  
  
After all, wasn't that what she was?  
  
Rufus shrugged.  
  
"What a crew." He commented before smoothing his hair nonchalantly. "Well, I'm Rufus. The President of Shinra, Inc."  
  
"You only President 'cause yer old man died!" Gun Arm growled.  
  
"Correct. I'll let you hear my inauguration speech." Rufus then started walking over to Legs. "...Father tried to control the world with money, and that worked for him." He then walked over to Miss Pink. "The people believed that Shinra would protect them." He made his way over to Gun Arm. "Work at Shinra, get your pay. If terrorists attack, the Shinra army will help you. It looked perfect on the outside. But, I do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It's too much to do it like my old man." Rufus went over to the railing. "A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste good money on them."  
  
There was a slight pause as everyone took in this information. Amalthea didn't like the impression she got from Rufus, considering him to be cruel.  
  
"He likes to make speeches just like his father." Legs commented, seeming put off by the new president.  
  
"Get Aerith outta this building!" Cloud ordered, turning to face Gun Arm.  
  
She couldn't help but wonder which of the women was Aerith.  
  
"What?" Gun Arm questioned.  
  
"I'll explain later! Barret! This is the real crisis for the Planet!"  
  
"The hell's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"I'll explain later! Just take my word for it!" Cloud insisted. "I'll go after I take care of him!"  
  
"Alright, Cloud!" Barret (previously Gun Arm) eventually relented.  
  
With that Amalthea followed after Barret with the others while Cloud stayed behind. They had rushed down the stairs from the President Office and were about to head through a door they had come through earlier when Miss Pink stopped.  
  
"Cloud... I just thought of something." She said, looking concerned.  
  
At this Legs went up to Miss Pink.  
  
"...I'll wait for Cloud!" She reassured Miss Pink. "Everyone, get to the elevator!"  
  
Miss Pink nodded in agreement before rejoining Barret, Red XIII, and herself while Legs stayed behind in the doorway. Amalthea could sense the tension everyone seemed to be experiencing and had a feeling that escaping wasn't going to be easy for them. She followed after Barret and Miss Pink (while keeping close to Red XIII) as they went through a door off to the side before they came across a set of elevators, which they entered.  
  
As the elevator traveled down she couldn't help but stare out through the glass window that contained them inside, gazing down at the countless lights of the large city below. She never thought much of the view due to having seen it every day from the window of her room, but with everything that's happened so far it only began to sink in.  
  
She was going to be free.  
  
Suddenly the glass of the elevator shattered, forcing everyone to cover their faces to protect themselves from getting cut from the shards. Amalthea could feel her hair whipping around her with the platform being exposed to the elements and the chill of the wind. She managed to get a few strands of hair out of her face before looking up, not at all expecting the large almost tank-like machine that was situated on the second elevator platform across from the one their group was standing on.  
  
"Stay behind me!" Red XIII called to her.  
  
Amalthea didn't think twice before getting behind the red creature, ducking as close to the floor as she could while keeping a tight grip on the bedsheet wrapped around her. She had no way of protecting herself in this situation and had no choice but to rely on the three before her.  
  
So far it looked like Barret was the only one able to attack the machine, but then she saw that Miss Pink (who fought with a metal staff) was able cast thunder at their opponent while occasionally healing everyone from the assault. She couldn't help but cover her head whenever bullets were fired at them, squeezing her eyes shut from the loud noise.  
  
Never before had she heard something so loud in her life!  
  
She stayed like this for the entire battle until something nudged her hand, making her look up to find Red XIII gazing at her with his good eye and that the elevator had reached its destination. Quickly she got up before the two followed Barret and Miss Pink to what appeared to be the Shinra Building's main entrance (or in their case the exit).  
  
"I'll go on ahead!" Barret volunteered before going outside, only to rush back inside when he was met with gunfire. "*&^%(*... We're surrounded! If I was alone this wouldn't be a thing, but I gotta reputation to protect."  
  
Miss Pink shook her head, looking remorseful.  
  
"You all get out while you can." She said. "It's not you they're after... it's me."  
  
"Yeah, well that ain't happenin'. You got caught up in this over Marlene. Now, it's my turn to help you!" Barret turned back to the doorway, looking as if his mind was made up. "Ok, playtime's over jackasses..."  
  
Miss Pink approached Barret.  
  
"...Thank you, Mr. Barret!"  
  
"Who you callin' Mr. Barret? That don't sound right!" He complained, having turned to face her.  
  
"Well then... If you are through talking, may I suggest that we think of a way to get out of here." Red XIII stated.  
  
"Huh? Oh, oh yeah... You're cold, man. Just like someone else 'round here I know." He muttered the last bit.  
  
"Did you say something?"  
  
"Notta thing. So what're we gonna do?"  
  
"Barret!"  
  
They all turned to the direction the voice came from and find Legs sprinting down the stairs towards them.  
  
"Tifa! Where's Cloud?" Barret asked.  
  
At this Tifa (formerly Legs) started running over to the other side of the room. So that meant Miss Pink was Aerith  
  
"Everyone! Over here!" She told them.  
  
"Huh? What's up? Where's Cloud?"  
  
"He's coming! Hurry, Hurry!"  
  
Amalthea followed Tifa with everyone else through a doorway into what looked like a showroom, and it was as they were jumping into a pickup truck (the dark haired woman and Aerith climbing inside while Barret got into the bed of said truck) that she saw Cloud riding a motorcycle; she managed to climb into bed of the truck (as Red XIII jumping in) before Tifa started driving, but she was confused when they started driving up the stairs, stopping momentarily.  
  
She jumped slightly when Barret suddenly pulled her close, and it wasn't until the truck sped through a broken window and was propelled through the air that she realized why. She was a little shaken up once the truck roughly landed on a freeway, but despite that she managed to compose herself enough to grab hold of the side of the truck.  
  
There seemed to be more surprises in store for her as she spotted Cloud driving near the truck, remaining alert (and rightfully so) as their group was being pursued by Shinra soldiers riding motorcycles; wielding his sword in his left hand the swordsman was able to take out the soldiers that got too close to the truck in order to protect them, though occasionally there were a few close calls. Sometimes it got to the point where even Barret and Red XIII had to help out in warding off the soldiers as well in their own way. Amalthea was doing her best to keep herself in place, but the truck did a sudden sharp turn around a corner that flung her light frame through the air; she would've fallen out of the truck if it hadn't been for Barret catching her when he did, to which she was thankful for.  
  
They eventually managed to lose the Shinra soldiers, although their victory was short-lived when a large machine started chasing after them and cornering them at the end road. Cloud quickly dismounted from the motorcycle he was riding while Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Red climbed out of the truck in order to confront their enemy while Amalthea stayed in the bed of the truck. She was fascinated with how the five participants were capable of working together, never having seen anything like it before (though there was the battle Barret, Aerith, and Red XIII had been involved in while on the elevator, but it was nowhere close to what she was currently witnessing). As she observed she noted how everyone fought, as well as the machine's behavior.  
  
Cloud was tactful when considering where to strike, as if having years of training under his belt. Though considering how he stated he was SOLDIER First Class (she assumed this was something akin to an elite warrior or something for lack of better understanding) this was probably the case.  
  
Barret simply used his gun to fire at the machine regardless of whether or not it was effective. To Amalthea, she could see that he put heart into it as well as personality.  
  
Tifa was skillful as she was beautiful, having a certain grace about her as she kicked, punched, and dodge, her outfit not at all hindering her movements and agility. The dark haired woman showed an amount of discipline that she found curious.  
  
Even during battle Aerith's demeanor remain calm and collected as she kept vigilance over the group as she made sure to heal their injuries. Unlike the others, she would cast spells as opposed to attacking head on with her staff. She could only imagine the amount of concentration she used all while staying at a safe distance.  
  
Red XIII was interesting to observe, seeing as his method of fighting differed from the others. Like Aerith he would occasionally use magic, but most of the time his attacks were animalistic in nature. There was no other way to describe it than that.  
  
There was a part of her that wished to help out, but Amalthea knew she didn't have the means to do so. But just from watching them, she could see that they had a purpose.  
  
What was it like to have purpose?  
  
What was it that they fought so hard for?  
  
She wanted to know what it was like to actually fight for something, to have a reason to keep moving forward.  
  
But how did one find such a purpose?  
  
How does a person know what to fight for?  
  
These were things she didn't know and had no idea as to how to grasp such a concept.  
  
As the battle continued the machine used an attack that involved a flamethrower, and out of a sudden sense of concern Amalthea threw her hands out.  
  
Only for her eyes to widen as thunder shot out of her hands and hit the machine dead one.  
  
Not only did this force the machine to stop using its flamethrower, but allowed the others to recover from the attack. Still surprised by this she wasn't aware of the brief words exchanged between Barret and Red XIII.  
  
Eventually the others were able to take down the machine and with their victory came a few sighs of relief. At the edge of the freeway (which looked as if it had collapsed some time ago with no effort having been made to rebuilt it) Amalthea could see mountains in the distance, something she had never been able to see from her room in the Shinra Building.  
  
"Well, what do we do now?" Barret asked.  
  
Cloud walked closer to the edge, as if taking in the sight before him.  
  
"Sephiroth is alive. ...I have to settle the score." Was the blonde swordsman's response.  
  
"Will that save the Planet?" Barret walked over to join him.  
  
"...It seems so."  
  
"Then, I'm going!"  
  
"I'll go, too." Aerith said. "...There are things I need to know."  
  
"About the Ancients?" Cloud guessed.  
  
"...Many things."  
  
"I guess it's goodbye, Midgar." Tifa commented.  
  
Hearing that phrase felt surreal to Amalthea. Goodbye meant leaving.  
  
It also meant that she was leaving Midgar.  
  
She was free.  
  
(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)  
  
Amalthea slipped off of Barret's back once his feet were planted on the rocky ground. The first thing she noticed was that everything was bright and her eyes were having trouble adjusting. She pulled the bed sheet over her head in an attempt to provide some shade but it only help out a bit.  
  
From what she could see, the surrounding area outside of Midgar was nothing but wasteland, stretching as far as the eye could see. Around her she could hear the others talking among themselves while she was taking in her surroundings. She noticed how the fresh the air was unlike Midgar, as well as having more color. In fact, she had no idea that the sky looked as blue as it was.  
  
"Let's go!" Cloud suddenly announced, catching Amalthea's attention as she turned to face him.  
  
"We need a leader for our journey. 'Course that could be me." Barret stated enthusiastically as he was air boxing.  
  
"You think so?" Tifa asked, turning to Barret.  
  
"I think it should be Cloud." Aerith said, walking over to Cloud.  
  
Barret froze upon hearing this and turned to Aerith.  
  
"^#$^%...alright." Barret agreed begrudgingly. "Go Northeast to a town called Kalm. If something happens, we'll meet up there." He then sat down. "'Sides, we can't all be strolling around out there. Let's split into two parties..."  
  
Cloud regarded everyone, as if carefully considering who to take. After awhile he made his decision.  
  
"Barret, Tifa. You're with me." He decided. "Aerith, Red XIII, and Amalthea, you'll be your own group."  
  
She was a little surprised that Cloud remembered her name but dismissed the thought. That wasn't important right now.  
  
"We'll see you at Kalm!" Aerith said.  
  
Amalthea was about to follow after Aerith and Red XIII when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She turned around to find Barret, who was holding out a pair of sunglasses.  
  
"You look like you need these more than I do." He told her.  
  
She regarded the taller man before accepting the offered sunglasses, placing them on her face.  
  
"Thank you." She told him.  
  
"It's nothin'!" He waved her off.  
  
With that she followed after Aerith and Red XIII while Cloud, Barret, and Tifa went on ahead. Amalthea was grateful that Barret lent his sunglasses to her since it easier to see. They spend the majority of the day traveling until the sun started to set, causing them to stop for the night.  
  
As Amalthea stared into the fire Aerith created she couldn't stop herself from shivering and drew the bed sheet closer around her. She didn't think it'd be cold during the night, but then again she had been used to living inside a building where the temperature was controlled and adjusted to a person's satisfaction. She tensed when she felt something brush against her, but calmed down when she saw that it was Red XIII who had decided to curl up beside her. Her gaze lingered on the red creature for a moment before turning back to the fire.  
  
"…Why did you vouch for me?" She asked, her voice quiet.  
  
"Because you were kind to me." He told her.  
  
"I was under the impression that you didn't like humans."  
  
"I don't. But perhaps I may consider you an exception."  
  
At this Amalthea turned to face Red XIII, a little surprised by his words. Had the brief moment of kindness she'd given him (despite how little it was) really make that much of a difference to him?  
  
She never would've thought.  
  
"What will you do now that you're free, Amalthea?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know. I want to find my parents, but something tells me that I should get as far away from Midgar as possible."  
  
'_More like someone._' She thought, recalling what her friend had wanted her to do.  
  
Just thinking about him brought a sense of sadness, but she didn't show it.  
  
"What about you, Red XIII?" She asked.  
  
"I plan on going back to my hometown if we ever travel that far." He lifted his head and turned to her. "If you want, you could choose to stay there as well."  
  
Her gaze softened at this, touched by Red XIII's thoughtfulness.  
  
"It's something to consider."


	3. Kalm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amalthea and the others arrive in Kalm, where Cloud recounts the events of the Nibelheim Incident from 5 years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speaking about the Nibelheim Incident, instead of showing what happened in the game, I chose to summarize everything in a way that those who have played the game (or watched a walkthrough on youtube) would recognize what's happening while others who are unfamiliar (or need a refresher) would be able to get an idea of that part of the game. That, and I didn't think you'd want to read so much dialogue from a flashback. During that part of the story, you'll notice I bold and italicized the text while there might be regular text in there as well; this has been done for a reason, which you'll find out.

Amalthea sat awake staring at the remains of a fire that had died hours ago, the bed sheet wrapped around her in an attempt to keep warm. It wasn't because of her biological clock that she was awake (it was too early for her to be wake, and she had a feeling that there was an hour or so left before the sun rose), but a dream she had.  
  
No, not a dream. A memory from a long time ago.  
  
It was a memory that she had cherished for 20 years, clutched close to her heart in a desperate attempt to keep it safe from being tarnished by time.  
  
That precious memory was of the day she first met _him_.  
  
_She remembered how exhausted she had been after the doctors had performed their experimental procedure on her in an attempt to extend her life, how she had been placed on bed-rest in order to recover. She had been hopeful back then, believing she'd be able to return to her parents in a few weeks' time.  
  
__She had felt something she was unable to describe, and that had been when she first laid eyes on _him_. She remembered how he stood at the door looking lost, how he and the black business suit he wore stood out in contrast with the white room she would eventual become familiar in days to come. His presence had intrigued her for some unknown reason, and it was something that continued to do so even to this day. It had been when his gaze fell on her that he had stiffen, as if he hadn't been aware of her being in the room when he had been taking everything in.  
  
_"_Who are you?" She had asked.  
  
__He had been surprised when she addressed him, having asked if she was referring to him to which she confirmed.  
  
__He never gave her a name, simply stating that he was nobody. Regardless, she had introduced herself to him before asking how he had gotten inside her room, for she hadn't heard the door open. He didn't know, only that he just found himself in that room. He had asked her why she was there and she told him about what she'd gone through, and eventually she had asked the question that had been on her mind.  
  
_"_Are you real?"  
  
__She had wondered if he was a real person or something her mind had made up; he had hesitated, unsure of how to answer such a question. In the end even he didn't know the answer, saying that he probably wasn't real and wasn't aware of it.  
  
__Like an imaginary friend.  
  
__She ended up asking if he could be her friend. It had come as a surprised to him, but then he recovered and gave her a small smile, though there was a hint of sadness to it that she hadn't understood.  
  
_Ever since that day he had been her friend, though he had told her that he wouldn't know how often he'd be able to visit her. Despite that, it had made her stay within the Shinra Building bearable in the years to come. But now she was more or less on her own, traveling with a group of unfamiliar faces in an equally unfamiliar world that had only been touched upon in the many books she had read. It was intimidating, yet at the same time there was a sense of excitement that she hadn't felt in some time.  
  
Amalthea noticed that the sky was gradually starting to get brighter as the sun came up, a clear indication that it was only a matter of time before the group she was with would have to continue their journey to Kalm. She reached for the sunglasses Barret lent her and was about to place them over her eyes, only to stop herself and lowered her hand. She couldn't keep relying on the sunglasses forever. Her eyes needed to be able to adjust to natural light on their own now that she was free. And what better way to do that than to watch the sunrise.  
  
Though she had lived the past 20 years on the upper plate of Midgar (courtesy of Shinra), the sky was always covered with smog, only allowing enough sunlight through to indicate a day and night cycle. But now that she was away from the metropolis she found herself fascinated by the sky as it got brighter. Even the grass she sat on fascinated her, the greenness being something she had only seen in pictures and images, but even then they both paled in comparison to the real thing.  
  
It felt so surreal to see the world with her own eyes, yet at the same time it was refreshing. And she wanted to experience it all with her newfound freedom.  
  
"I see you are enjoying the sunrise." Turning to her right, Amalthea watched as Red XIII stood up, stretching to get rid of the stiffness before sitting on his hind legs and gazing at her with his good eye. "You are up quite early."  
  
"I could say the same for you." She told him.  
  
"A fair point." He agreed. "I presume this is the first time you have seen such a sight?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"And what are your thoughts?"  
  
"It's different, but in a good way." She gazed at the sun. "I'm aware of the concept behind the sun itself, but how can something so simple be…refreshing?"  
  
"'Refreshing'?" Red XIII chuckled. "If you are this mesmerized at the sight of a sunrise, then I wonder how you will react to other things and places we'll encounter on this journey."  
  
Amalthea pulled her eyes away from the sun (knowing that she shouldn't look directly at it by this point) to glance at Red XII, but what caught her attention the most was how the flame at the end of his tail was making direct contact with the grass.  
  
"Your tail…" She tilted her head to the side.  
  
"You refer to how the flame isn't setting the grass ablaze. It's a question I tend to get a lot."  
  
"How is that possible?"  
  
"In all honesty? I do not know. It has always been like this." He then stood up. "Amalthea, would you mind waking Aerith? I believe we should get an early start if we want to reach Kalm."  
  
Amalthea stood and headed over to where Aerith slept on the ground. She knelt down before reaching a hand out and placing it on the sleeping woman's arm.  
  
"Aerith, wake up." She said.  
  
She was surprised when Aerith's eyes opened to reveal green orbs before sitting up.  
  
"Good morning." Aerith greeted, giving her a smile. "So it's time to go?"  
  
"So it would seem."  
  
The group was able to gather what few possessions they had before resuming their journey to Kalm. Along the way they encountered a few monsters, being rewarded with Gil from each skirmish which Aerith placed in a wallet with the rest of their earnings. Amalthea was unable to participate during these encounter, but it was during a battle that an incident occurred. While Aerith and Red XIII were preoccupied a monster managed to slip past them, and by the time they realized what happened the monster was already lunging at her, seeing her as an easy target.  
  
What none of them expected was for a blast of ice to shoot out of Amalthea's hand and hit the creature dead on, causing it to drop to the ground. With wide eyes she stared down at the dead monster before her eyes fell to her hands, not knowing what to think.  
  
She did it again! First the Thunder spell she had casted on the machine everyone had fought on the highway, and now a Blizzard spell!  
  
How was she casting magic without Materia?  
  
"Are you alright, Amalthea?"  
  
Amalthea tore her gaze away from her hands to look up at Aerith and Red XIII, both of them stopping before her. She managed to school her expression before speaking.  
  
"I'm fine." She told them.  
  
"How did you managed to kill that monster with a Blizzard spell? I thought you didn't have Materia."  
  
"I don't."  
  
"That doesn't make any sense! It's impossible for others to use magic without the aid of Materia."  
  
"Maybe it isn't." Red XIII commented. "It's possible that she's capable of performing magic due to the experiments performed on her by Shinra. It wouldn't surprise me if that were the case."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Aerith asked.  
  
"You remember how we all fought the machine Shinra sent after us on that highway? Do you recall what caused it to stop using its flamethrower when we were being burned?"  
  
Aerith's eyes widened as she realized what Red XIII was getting at.  
  
"You mean you weren't the one that cast Thunder at that time?"  
  
"It was Amalthea's doing." He stated. "I only took credit in order so the others wouldn't be suspicious of her."  
  
Amalthea stared at the red creature, unsure what to think. So he had known it was her the whole time and had taken credit in an effort to cover for her. She frowned. For some reason, she felt somewhat irritated despite him meaning well with his decision.  
  
As tempted as she was to voice her opinion, she refrained from doing so.  
  
"So we know that Amalthea's capable of performing magic without Materia, but the question now is which spells can she use?" Aerith turned to her. "Try casting a spell you haven't used so yet."  
  
Amalthea considered this before holding out her hand. She searched her mind, trying to figure out what spell to use. Maybe Fire? She imagined a flame burning in her hand, hot to the touch but not burning her at the same time.  
  
Before their eyes a flame appeared in her hands, dancing in the open air. Closing her hand caused the flame to be extinguished, leaving no trace of ever being there.  
  
So she could cast Fire. What about Cure?  
  
She glanced at Aerith and noticed a bruise on her arm. She then held out her hand and concentrated. She imagined a soothing warmth before witnessing a soft light touching the woman's arm. The bruise was gone when the light disappeared.  
  
"So I can cast Fire and Cure as well." She said.  
  
"Are you able to cast anything else?" Red XIII asked.  
  
Amalthea thought about this. So far she could cast Thunder, Blizzard, Fire, and Cure, but was she able to cast anything else? Something seemed to tell her that the answer was no, but how did she know that?  
  
Was it a gut feeling?  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Hold on!" Aerith said, pulling out a green and yellow Materia before holding the green one out to her. "Try holding this one."  
  
Amalthea reached out to take the green Materia from Aerith, but as soon as her fingers made contact with the orb she froze. Images seemed to flash before her eyes, none of them distinguishable and not staying long enough for her to register. Though her eyes couldn't register what the images meant her mind seemed to somehow understand. Just as quickly as the images appeared, they soon ended and she found herself still standing before Aerith.  
  
The most curious thing was that she _knew_ how to use the ability from the green Materia. She pulled her hand away, holding her palm up and concentrating before a small sickly green looking smoke appeared.  
  
Poison.  
  
"Try this one now." This time Aerith held out the yellow Materia.  
  
Just like with the green Materia, the same process happened and she had learned how to use Scan. The only way she could compare the process would be the way a program would be installed on a computer or a file was downloaded.  
  
"Interesting…" Red XIII mused. "It seem that whenever you come in contact with certain Materia you learn its abilities to add to the others you already know."  
  
"As convenient as being able to cast magic without Materia, what do we do about the others knowing?" Amalthea questioned.  
  
Aerith and Red XIII looked thoughtful as they pondered this. Eventually Aerith was the first to speak up.  
  
"We could convince Cloud and the others that you need a way to defend yourself and provide you with Materia of the four initial abilities you know and something to equip the Materia to. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary to do so and even if you don't need the Materia itself to use spells, it be a good way to hide your secret." Aerith figured. "And seeing as you likely won't participate in battle as much, you could offer to hold on to our healing items as well. That way you're able to contribute during our journey."  
  
"It could work."  
  
(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)  
  
Kalm was not what Amalthea expected it to be upon entering the town. From what she'd managed to see of it (before Aerith and Red XIII ushered her into the Inn) it was an idyllic (the irony was not lost on her) place surrounded by a wall to protect its residents from roaming monsters. She didn't know how to describe the buildings of the place, but something about them seemed to exude a sort of comfort to them, unlike the few memories she had of the Sector 8 Slums back in Midgar from her early years.  
  
At the moment she stood by the window of the room Aerith had managed to reserve for them, along with telling the Innkeeper that they were expecting three more people to come and to tell them that they were waiting. Earlier Amalthea had taken the chance to get a shower (she only spent a little over seven minutes before getting out) and currently Aerith was taking her turn to get cleaned as well. Red XIII, on the other hand, was resting at the end of one of the beds seeming to enjoy laying on a surface that wasn't the ground. She didn't blame him, finding the bed a welcome comfort, but for a different reason; the bed she used for the last 20 years had served its purpose, but it had lacked the comfort the ones at the Inn provided.  
  
Even more reason she was grateful to be away from Midgar and another thing to add to her ever growing list.  
  
Amalthea was pulled away from her thoughts when she heard the door of the bathroom open followed by Aerith walking out, all the while brushing her long brown hair. As she passed by the bed Red XIII was on she reached down to pat him on the nose, much to his chagrin, before sitting down herself.  
  
Though, she found it somewhat amusing to witness.  
  
"Would you like me to brush your hair?"  
  
Confused, Amalthea turned around to face Aerith as the younger woman waited for her answer. How was she supposed to answer such a question, let alone expect it?  
  
"…Brush my hair?" She asked.  
  
Aerith smiled at this.  
  
"Come over here." She told her.  
  
Seeing no reason not to she made her way over to the bed Aerith was on and sat down in front of her when indicated to do so. Amalthea tensed up when she felt her hand being gathered, expecting the harsh pulling of a brush going through tangles, but was surprised when she never felt it. Instead Aerith was getting rid of the tangles at the ends and once satisfied with her work started with the rest. She found it surprisingly relaxing was the brush ran through her hair, having been used to brushing her own hair until now.  
  
"It's difficult maintaining long hair, but it's not so bad as long as you know how to take care of it properly." Aerith explained. "Notice how I started at the ends? The trick is to start there and work your way up. That way you make the task easier and it won't hurt as much."  
  
"You speak from experience." Amalthea noted.  
  
"I do."  
  
"Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain?"  
  
Aerith paused, considering the question before she spoke.  
  
"'What do I hope to gain'? If possible, a friend. Wouldn't you want that?"  
  
Amalthea thought about this. Even though _he _had been her friend growing up, he hadn't been real. But if she took Aerith's offer, she'd have an actual friend. Maybe it was for the best.  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"I can understand your uncertainty, but I assure you that you don't have to worry about that. You don't have to worry about being alone anymore."  
  
Was that actually true, though? Was it safe to say that she wasn't alone anymore? Maybe Aerith was right.  
  
'_I'll have to find out for myself._' She thought.  
  
"You're very quiet, you know? A lot more than Cloud is." Aerith commented, braiding her hair after finishing with Amalthea's hair. "But I'm sure that'll change the more you talk with everyone else. And you should smile more."  
  
"Smile?" She questioned.  
  
"Yeah. I bet you'd look a lot prettier if you did."  
  
"…I haven't had much reason to smile in recent years."  
  
"Really? Not even now."  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you'll find one someday." Aerith giggled. "In fact, I'll try to give you a reason to do so one of these days."  
  
The sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs caught the attention of the two women as they both turned in time to see Tifa and Barret reach the top. Amalthea didn't miss the detail that Cloud was absent.  
  
"You made it!" Tifa exclaimed, her eyes lighting up in relief upon seeing them. "Did you have any trouble getting here?"  
  
"Nothing we couldn't handle." Aerith replied. "Where's Cloud?"  
  
"Spikey said somethin' 'bout tendin' to some business." Barret stated. "Whatever that means."  
  
"Well, we can't do much until he gets here." Red XIII said.  
  
Amalthea merely tuned out the conversation from this point. She wasn't sure how much time passed, but her attention was brought back to reality when she felt the bed slightly sink from the additional weight, causing her to turn and find Tifa sitting next to her.  
  
"How are you holding up?" She asked, her tone almost…motherly.  
  
When was the last time anyone spoke to her in such a way?  
  
"I'm fine." She replied.  
  
"That's good. Believe it or not, some of us were concerned as to how you'd handle traveling in your…condition."  
  
She regarded the woman, allowing her words to sink in. First Red XIII and Aerith, and now Tifa. There were people concerned about her wellbeing. Only one other had shown her such concern, but that wasn't a pressing issue at the moment.  
  
"Your concern is noted."  
  
Amalthea didn't expect to see the disappointed look that crossed her face. Had she said something wrong? No, it wasn't what she said; it was the delivery. She sighed, knowing that she had to fix this mistake.  
  
"I…apologize if I came off as crass." She said. "I never had many instances to socialize with others unless it was with a scientist, doctor or tutor."  
  
Tifa nodded at this, seeming to catch on to what Amalthea was saying.  
  
"That actually explains a lot. We could help you with that, you know? That way you can avoid a situation like this in the near future. For example: instead of saying 'Your concern is noted' you could say 'Thank you for being concerned' or 'I appreciate your concern'."  
  
Amalthea considered Tifa's words, noting her suggestions sounded a lot better than what she'd said earlier.  
  
"Thank you for being concerned." She tried. Having said the words herself, it gave off a better message.  
  
"See? Doesn't that sound better?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I appreciate you for wanting to help me with this."  
  
"You're welcome." She smiled before getting up from the bed. "Well I'm gonna go freshen up. A girl's gotta take advantage of any chance she's get to take a shower."  
  
With that Tifa headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her before the sound of running water could be heard. Amalthea glanced over to where Barret stood leaning against the wall and that was when she remembered the sunglasses in her possession.  
  
"I believe these are yours." She said, offering the sunglasses to the taller man.  
  
She watched as Barret regarded her with dark eyes for a moment before taking the sunglasses from her.  
  
"Thanks." He said, pocketing the eyewear in a way that conveyed he had done so countless times. "Gotta admit, I wasn't expectin' to get these back."  
  
"I only kept them as long as I needed. It's only fair I return them." She then remembered something. At first she was hesitant to talk about it, but then chose to proceed. "Both you and Tifa mentioned being from AVALANCHE. What is AVALANCHE?"  
  
Barret sighed at this, as if coming to terms with something.  
  
"You really weren't kidding 'bout bein' sheltered. You are aware of where Mako energy comes from, right?"  
  
"Mako energy is processed by Shinra through the Mako Reactors. Normally, Mako can form naturally in places where the Lifestream is close to the surface, which are known as Mako Springs, and over time will condense into naturally made Materia. However, the Mako Reactors are forcibly extracting the Lifestream from the Planet in order to create Mako energy. The topic of using Mako as an energy source has brought up controversy over the years."  
  
"Hmph. Practically a textbook example. AVALANCHE is tryin' to stop Shinra from suckin' the Planet dry of Mako. We managed to blow up the Reactors for Sectors 1 and 5, but then…"  
  
Barret trailed off, looking away with fists clenched tightly as he seemed to recall a memory. Amalthea realized why once she managed to make the connection.  
  
"The casualties caused of the plate being dropped. Your base was in the Sector 7 Slums."  
  
At this the taller man's head shot in her direction.  
  
"What gave you that idea?" He asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.  
  
"I saw it happen from the window of my room. At first I had no clue as to the reason behind this action, but your words give some clarity." She admitted. "My condolences for your loss."  
  
"It don't matter now! Just as long as Shinra pays!"  
  
She wanted to say more on the subject, but decided against it. As far as she knew, it wouldn't change anything. Thankfully Tifa had finished her shower since she came out of the bathroom at that time looking refreshed as Aerith had earlier.  
  
From her spot on the bed she watched as the Tifa, Barret, and Aerith counted the Gil they had collected while traveling to Kalm. Apparently, the others came up with the plan for each group to have an empty wallet that was meant to place the Gil gathered while traveling, so that once they reached their destination they would split the earnings once counted. Amalthea found the idea logical, seeing as they would each need to have their own funds if they wanted to buy something for themselves. Overall, the total earnings came to 6,276 Gil, and she observed the earnings being split into…6 groups? Who was the extra group for?  
  
"Here!"  
  
Amalthea was taken aback by this. She hadn't expected to be given money, let along from the people who allowed her to come along despite being unable to contribute to their cause. And yet, Tifa stood before her, offering her a wallet containing a share of their earnings.  
  
"…For me?" She asked.  
  
"Of course!" Tifa replied. "Whether or not you decide to travel with us, you'll still need money in order start a new life."  
  
At first she didn't know what to think of this, but eventually she accepted the money. It turned out that she was given 1,046 Gil.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Tifa smiled at this and nodded.  
  
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps climbing creaking steps caused everyone to turn towards the steps just as Cloud reached the top.  
  
"Cloud!" Aerith exclaimed.  
  
"Yo man, you're late!" Barret told the blonde swordsman.  
  
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Cloud responded, going over to one of the beds and placing his large sword against a nearby wall.  
  
"Guess everyone's here now." Aerith commented.  
  
"So let's hear your story..." Barret said, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall. "You know, the one about Sephiroth and the crisis facing the Planet. Let's hear it all."  
  
Cloud's gaze fell to the floor for a moment before turning to Barret.  
  
"...I used to want to be like Sephiroth, so I joined SOLDIER. After working with Sephiroth on several missions, we became friends." The blonde swordsman started.  
  
Barret snorted at this.  
  
"You call that a friend?"  
  
"Yeah, well... He was older than me, and hardly ever talked about himself."  
  
Glancing over at Tifa, Amalthea noticed that the dark haired woman looked troubled by this.  
  
"So I guess you'd call us war buddies... We trusted each other. Until one day..." Cloud trailed off.  
  
"...One day?" Aerith inquired.  
  
Cloud turned and walked away from them, as if contemplating what to say next. That, or the memories weren't exactly ones he'd like to recall.  
  
"After the war it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance against Shinra." He responded. He then tilted his head back thoughtfully. "...That was 5 years ago. I was 16..."  
  
_**Cloud begin his story, describing how he had been traveling in a military truck with Sephiroth and a few cadets; their mission had been to investigate malfunctioning Mako Reactor (as well as creature that were being produced by it) in Nibelheim, his hometown. He went into detail on how it had been raining hard, the ride having been bumpy, as well as one of the cadets sitting in the back had gotten motion sick. While they were traveling, they had been ambushed by a massive dragon-like monster, and though Cloud and Sephiroth were the ones to confront it, the latter had been able to take it out with ease.  
  
**_"Sephiroth's strength is incredible. He is far stronger in reality than any stories you may have heard about him." Cloud told them.  
  
"So... Where do you come in?" Aerith asked, giggling.  
  
Cloud scratched the back of his head sheepishly.  
  
"Me? I was mesmerized by the way Sephiroth fought."  
  
Tifa looked at Cloud, but was quiet. He tilted his head back as he crossed his arms.  
  
"...And then we reached Nibelheim."  
  
_**Cloud continued. His group had reached Nibelheim after days of traveling on the road. Sephiroth had asked him how it felt to be back in his hometown, saying that he didn't know since he didn't have one himself. Cloud had asked about Sephiroth's family, and he had gone on to tell how his mother, Jenova, had died shortly after he was born; when the topic of his father came up he merely laughed before wondering why he was even talking about the subject itself. Cloud told them how the cadet that had gotten motion sick earlier was bored and had suggested that he practice his pose. He had heard Sephiroth mentioning that the Mako in the area smelled back before continuing on to Nibelheim.  
  
**_"Yo wait a minute!" Barret interrupted, having noticed something. "Isn't that, uh...? The name of Sephiroth's mother... I remember Jenova. That's that damn headless spook livin' in the Shinra building."  
  
'Headless spook'? There had been something to that description that had been in the Shinra Building?  
  
"That's right." Cloud nodded.  
  
"Barret, would you please let us hear what Cloud has to say?" Tifa asked. "You can ask questions later."  
  
"Tifa, I was only..." The taller man trailed off.  
  
"Okay Cloud, continue." She turned to the blonde.  
  
Aerith giggled, seeming to know what came next.  
  
"The childhood friends reunite!" Aerith exclaimed.  
  
"...I was really surprised with Tifa." Cloud admitted, scratching the back of his head.  
  
_**Cloud described how the town had been quiet; everyone had stayed within their houses, though he admitted that he wasn't sure if it was because they were afraid of the monsters or of the group Shinra had sent to their quiet town. Sephiroth had told them that they would depart for the Reactor at dawn and to make sure they got plenty of sleep; he also mentioned that only one of the cadets needed to keep watch and to get some rest as well. The General had been about to head inside when a cadet had approached and stated that they had permission to visit family and friends if they wished before entering the Inn. He told them about the man that had outside with a camera who wanted to take a picture of Sephiroth fighting a monster**_**.** As Cloud continued his story, there were times where he would go quiet, as if unsure of something or having trouble recalling certain details. _**Cloud was about to tell them about visiting his home, but had decided it wasn't important.  
  
**_"Yo wait, I wanna hear." Barret exclaimed.  
  
"Me too!" Aerith agreed. "It's been a long time, right?"  
  
"Tell us more! You saw your family, right?"  
  
Amalthea was interested to hear about his family. With the looks everyone was giving him, Cloud sighed before agreeing to tell them.  
  
"I don't know if you'd call it a 'family'... My father...died when I was still young. That's why my mom...lived alone in this house." He told them. "Yeah, I saw my mom. My mom...she was a vibrant woman. Hadn't changed at all. But a few days later, she died... But when I saw her, she looked fine."  
  
_**Cloud described his encounter with his mother, who had been working in the kitchen when he had entered the house. At first, she hadn't known who he was until she turned around, and ran over to him once she realized who he was; the warm welcome he received was proof of how much she'd missed her son, much to his embarrassment.  
  
**_Cloud paused, something Amalthea noticed he'd been doing frequently during his retelling.  
  
_**The swordsman resumed his story with how his mother had looked him over and called him 'handsome'.  
  
**_Cloud trailed off again. Was he having trouble remembering? It was possible, having been 5 years ago.  
  
_**He continued. He had been laying on the bed by the kitchen when his mother had approached him, commenting on how much he'd grown during his absence and how she bet the girls never left him alone; he told her that wasn't the case. She admitted that she was worried about her son, stating there was a lot of temptations in the city before saying that she'd feel better if he settled down and had a nice girlfriend. Despite stating that he was fine, she continued on, commenting that he should have an older girlfriend that could take care of him, believing that would be the perfect type for him. He wasn't interested.  
  
**_Pause.  
  
_**He had been in the kitchen with his mother while she cooked, which led her to ask about him eating right since he couldn't cook; she had been worried sick about his wellbeing.  
  
**_Another pause.  
  
Cloud went to open his mouth, only to close it, all the while looks of confusion crossed his face. This happened a few more times before he sighed in defeat.  
  
"…Let's stop this..." He muttered before continuing.  
  
_**Cloud told them he left his house before he headed next door.  
  
**_"Cloud? Did you go into my house?" Tifa asked, surprised by this.  
  
"I thought you might be home." Cloud confessed.  
  
_**As Cloud was talking about going upstairs (since no one was present on the first floor), Tifa interrupted again.  
  
**_"Cloud? Did you go into my room?"  
  
He nodded before continuing. _He mentioned approaching a piano in the room.  
  
_"Did you play my piano?"  
  
"Just a little." He admitted.  
  
_**He mentioned playing a song on the piano before heading over to the desk, where he found a letter.  
**__**  
**_"Did you read it? My letter?" Tifa interrupted.He nodded.  
  
"You remember what it said?  
  
"I read it..." He replied. "It was a letter addressed to Tifa from the son of the guy that runs the General Store..."  
  
As Cloud summarized a portion of the letter, Tifa's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Cloud, do you remember all of it?"  
  
"Yeah, I remember it all. Because there was some stuff about me..."  
  
_**He finished summarizing the letter before continuing with the story. He had left Tifa's house and proceeded to visit some neighbors (one that had two children) before heading to the Inn. Cloud recalled how he met a man named Zangan, who happened to teach children martial arts and that Tifa had been one of his students (much to the blonde's surprise at the time), praising her for her skills. Cloud then went upstairs were he found Sephiroth staring out the window, and upon inquiring what the General was looking at, he replied that he could swear he'd seen the landscape of Nibelheim; he told Cloud he should get some sleep, as well as informing him that he hired a guide to the Mako Reactor.  
  
**__**The next day the group had gathered outside the Shinra Mansion (which was on the outskirts of the town near the trail leading to Mt. Nibel) where they waited for their guide to arrive. The Mayor was talking to Sephiroth concerning something when their guide arrived, which turned out to be Tifa herself; she went on to reassure the Mayor (who was her father) that she'd be fine since she had two men from SOLDIER with her before introducing herself to them. Cloud had been surprised by this, but she merely stated that nobody was a better guide that her in that town. At first Cloud didn't want to get her involved, but Sephiroth put an end to the discussion (saying she'd be fine if he protected her). Cloud mentioned the photographer from earlier requesting to take a picture as a memento, to which the General complied with, resulting in Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth ending up in a photo; they proceeded up Mt. Nibel.  
  
**_"There was a Mako Reactor built in Mt. Nibel. The cold air of the mountains of Nibel. It was no different..." Cloud told them before continuing.  
  
_**It was during their journey to the Reactor that they came across a rope bridge, but as they were crossing the bridge broke apart and everyone fell, landing in a canyon below. The group had survived the fall, however, one of the cadets was missing; they had no choice but to continue onward despite the missing cadet. They eventually came across a Mako Spring, which led to Sephiroth explaining how Materia is formed. Sephiroth laughed at Cloud for referring to magic as a mysterious power, stating that a man once told him never to use unscientific terms like 'mysterious power' and that it should've even be called 'magic', recalling how angry the man had been; it turned out that man had been Hojo, who Sephiroth had stated was an inexperience man assigned to take over the work of a great scientist, as well as a walking mass of complexes.  
  
**_Amalthea mentally laughed at this; the Professor would say something to that extent.  
  
_**Eventually the group had reached the Mako Reactor on Mt. Nibel. Tifa had wanted to go inside and look, but Sephiroth informed her that it was a top-secret facility and non-Shinra personnel weren't permitted inside; he had the cadet that survived earlier look after her. She hadn't liked this idea. Cloud had followed Sephiroth into the Mako Reactor until they reached a room with metal pods (that had been lined up in rows with round glass windows to look through); one of the things that caught his eye had been the door at the top of the steps, with the word 'JENOVA' written above it **_(Amalthea had a feeling where this was going)_, __**however the door was sealed. Sephiroth had found the cause of the Reactor's malfunction and had Cloud seal the valve, all the while wondering to himself why it broke in the first place before walking over to one of the other pods.  
  
**__**Cloud had told them how the General had been disturbed upon looking through the glass window of the pod upon approaching him; he had muttered something about Hojo and how what he was doing would never put him on the same level as Professor Gast. He then explained the purpose of the pods and how it condensed and froze Mako energy before asking what happened when it furthered condensed (to which Cloud had answered correctly about Materia forming from the process). However, Hojo had put something else inside the pods, and upon looking inside that something (to Cloud's shock) had turned out to be a monster. Sephiroth went on to explain that average SOLDIER members were Mako-infused humans, enhanced, but still human; that raised questions on what the creatures inside the pods were, since their Mako energy levels were exponentially higher than Cloud's.  
  
**_The implication of what the monsters were left her disturbed.  
  
_**Apparently, monster had been the right term to call them, and Hojo had been the one to create such abominations spawned by Mako energy. Cloud had caught on to how Sephiroth had mention 'average' member, and had wondered about the latter. Sephiroth hadn't reacted well since he had started clutching his head, trembling; it seemed to have come to some realization, was he created the same way? Was he the same as those monsters?  
  
**_Amalthea's fears were confirmed when Cloud revealed that the monsters in the pod _had_ been human, much to everyone's shock.  
  
_**Sephiroth had known, ever since he was a child, that he wasn't like the others. He'd known his was a special existence. But what he discovered in that Reactor wasn't what he meant. Cloud went on to tell them about one of the pods exploding before the front lid had fallen open; the monster inside had fallen out, not having been fully formed, and twitching. Sephiroth questioned if he was even human.  
  
**_"I didn't really understand what Sephiroth meant then." Cloud told them. "I was even more surprised that Shinra was producing monsters."  
  
Amalthea was just as shocked as everyone else as they let Cloud's story register in their heads.  
  
"Damn, Shinra! The more I hear, the more I hate 'em!" Barret commented.  
  
"...Who would have ever thought the Mako Reactor held such a secret." Tifa said.  
  
"That would seem to explain the increase in the number of monsters recently." Red XIII said, having been quiet up until then. "I think we should listen carefully to Cloud."  
  
"Tifa... Were you waiting outside then?" Aerith asked, having remembered that part.  
  
"...Yes." Tifa confirmed, having crossed her arms.  
  
"We returned to Nibelheim." Cloud started, his gaze averted to the floor. "Sephiroth confined himself at the Inn. He didn't even try to talk to me."  
  
"Then all of a sudden he just disappeared, right?" Tifa glanced at Cloud.  
  
Cloud looked up at this.  
  
"We found him inside the biggest building in Nibelheim."  
  
"The villagers used to call it Shinra Mansion."  
  
"Long ago, people from Shinra used to live in that mansion..."  
  
_**Cloud and the cadet with him left the Inn after finding out that Sephiroth had gone to the Shinra Mansion, as well as some of the villagers gathered outside the gate. He had gone inside the old mansion, and after finding a secret door leading down to the basement, had eventually found Sephiroth inside a library, pacing back and forth as he read aloud from a book; he had been so absorbed in his reading that he never noticed Cloud was there. He learned that Professor Gast had discovered a dead organism from 2,000 years ago that he named 'Jenova', as well as approving a project named after it and the use of Mako Reactor 1. This caused Sephiroth to wonder if the name of both his mother and the project had been a coincidence.  
  
**_"From that day, Sephiroth shut himself inside the Shinra Mansion…and proceeded to review document after document, like a man possessed. The light in the basement never went off…" Cloud explained, before looking down at the floor. "And on the seventh day…"  
  
_**Seven days later Cloud went back to the basement library to check up on Sephiroth, and upon entering the area he could hear him laughing; this had caused him to rush past the hallway of books. It was within the inner reading room that he found Sephiroth seated at a large, surrounded by books, be they on the shelves lining the walls or on the floor. Sephiroth had demanded to know who entered, only to realize it was Cloud, though he became confused when the General called him a traitor.  
  
**__**According to Sephiroth, he had researched the Cetra, finding out that the Planet originally belonged to them. They had been a race that traveled from place to place, cultivating life, and at the end of their journey, it was said they would find the Promised Land and supreme happiness. However, there were those who disliked the journeying and stopped their own migrations, built shelters and elected to lead easier lives, and taking what the Cetra and the Planet had made without giving back in return; they became the ancestors of the human race. Then, long ago, disaster struck the Planet, the ancestors managed to escape by hiding. The Planet was saved due to the Cetra sacrificing their lives, and after that the ancestors continued to multiply. All that was left of the Cetra, however, was from the report Sephiroth found.  
  
**__**When Cloud had asked how Sephiroth was involved, the later told him that an Ancient named Jenova was found in a 2,000 years old geological stratum, leading to the Jenova Project. The purpose of the project was to produce people with the powers of the Ancients, or the Cetra, and that he was the result of that very project; the leader of the Jenova Project had been Professor Gast.  
  
**__**Cloud had tried to stop Sephiroth from leaving, but it was futile since the general was determined to see his mother. Cloud had rushed after him, but when he exited the Shinra Mansion he was horrified to find the entire village on fire. Running through Nibelheim, he found that not a single building was spared by the strong flames, but upon reaching the courtyard he encountered Zangan tending to an injured person lying on the ground. The older man had spotted it, asking if Cloud was still sane before calling him over to help; he had to leap over pieces of burning debris in order to reach him, and once he did they both split to search for survivors, the old man rushing into the building next to the Inn. Cloud had checked up on the cadet lying on the ground (who had groaned out Sephiroth's name) before rushed toward his home, worried for his mother's wellbeing; it wasn't long before he was forced to leave. It was too terrible  
  
**__**Turning around, he spotted Sephiroth running a couple of villagers through with his sword. He looked up at Cloud with an empty expression before walking away through the fire, completely unharmed by the flames. Cloud ran after him and through Mt. Nibel until he finally reached the Mako Reactor, heading inside. He was surprised to find Tifa kneeling in front of the door leading to the pod room, her father lying dead before her while a familiar looking sword sat beside her. At first she mourned his death, but that sorrow soon turned to anger as she realized Sephiroth was responsible. Sephiroth, SOLDIER, Mako Reactors, Shinra, everything! She hated them all!  
  
**__**Tifa picked up the sword beside her before running into the pod room, Cloud not fair behind her. He arrived just in time to witness her falling backwards down the stairs with wide eyes, her form crumpled at the bottom. At the top of the steps was Sephiroth, who had then decided to enter through the door that was labelled JENOVA. Cloud ran over to Tifa, and as soon as he knelt down she had reminded him of a promise he made to hear, that he'd come when she was in trouble. He gently picked her up before carefully carrying her to the side and placing her on the ground in front of one of the pods. He then ran after Sephiroth into the room beyond the door at the top of the steps.  
  
**__**Just as he passed through the doorway, he could hear Sephiroth talking as he stood before what appeared to be some sort of effigy with wings (connected to a mass of machines), referring to it as 'Mother', as if it were an actual person. He was saying something about taking back the Planet, having an epiphany of going to the Promised Land. Cloud yelled at him, wanting to know how he could just destroy his family and hometown. Sephiroth only laughed before telling Mother 'they're here again', that she should have ruled this Planet, that she was stronger, smarter. He started reaching his arms up towards the effigy as he continued talking.  
  
**_"_**But then they came…" He had said, "Those inferior dullards… They came and took this Planet away from you. But don't be sad, Mother. I am with you now…"  
  
**__**Suddenly Sephiroth tore the upper half of the effigy off, the wires and machinery tearing apart in the process before he threw it off to the side. Behind the armor was a tank containing a fragile, alien looking woman. Though it looked somewhat human, there was something about it that brought the word 'grotesque' to mind.  
  
**__**"What about MY sadness?!" Cloud had demanded, brandishing his sword. "My family...friends? The sadness of having my hometown taken away from me?! It's the same as your sadness!"  
  
**__**Sephiroth had turned around to face him, holding his sword. He laughed.  
  
**__**"My sadness? What do I have to be sad about? I am the Chosen One." He replied. "I have been chosen to be the leader of this Planet. I have orders to take the Planet back from you stupid people for the Cetra. What should I be sad about?"  
  
**__**"Sephiroth...I trusted you!" He looked away, only to look back up, raising his sword upon realization. "No, you're not the Sephiroth I used to know!"  
  
**_Cloud went silent and Amalthea watched as the others waited for the blonde to tell them what happened next. She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel the same way.  
  
"...and that's the end of my story." Cloud suddenly said.  
  
They stared at him, not having expected it to end like that.  
  
"Wait a damn minute! That's it? No more?" Barret asked, being vocal concerning his thoughts on the matter.  
  
"…I don't remember." Cloud merely shrugged at this.  
  
"What happened to Sephiroth?" Aerith asked, placing a hand on her chin thoughtfully.  
  
"In terms of skill, I couldn't have killed him." The blonde replied, crossing his arms.  
  
"Official records state Sephiroth is dead. I read it in the newspaper." Tifa confirmed.  
  
"The Shinra Company owns the newspapers, so you can't rely on that information." Aerith stated.  
  
"…I want to know the truth. I want to know what happened." Cloud decided. "I challenged Sephiroth and lived. Why didn't he kill me?"  
  
"...I'm alive, too." Tifa noted.  
  
"A lot of this doesn't make sense." Aerith said. "What about Jenova? It was in the Shinra Building, right?  
  
"Shinra shipped it from Nibelheim to Midgar." Cloud said.  
  
"Did someone carry it out later? It was missing from the Shinra Building."  
  
"Sephiroth...?" Tifa guessed.  
  
Everyone went quiet at the thought of the idea.  
  
"Damn! None of this makes sense! I'm going, going, going, gone! And I'm leavin' the thinkin' to you!" Barret exclaimed before running over to the stairs. "Yo, Cloud! Let's get a move on!"  
  
Cloud nodded in agreement.  
  
"Yo, c'mon let's go!"  
  
With that Barret ran downstairs, leaving the rest of them in the room.  
  
"Oh brother..." Cloud sighed, shrugging.  
  
Amalthea looked over at Tifa, seeing that she looked somewhat hesitant before going over to Cloud.  
  
"Cloud?" She asked. Cloud turned to face her. "How bad was I after Sephiroth stabbed me?"  
  
At this Cloud looked away, averting his eyes.  
  
"I thought you were a goner. …I was really sad."  
  
Tifa went quiet.  
  
"I..." Aerith started. "The Ancients…Cetra…Jenova…Sephiroth and myself..."  
  
"Let's go." Tifa nodded. "Barret's waiting."  
  
Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith nodded in agreement before heading downstairs, leaving Amalthea and Red XIII in the room.  
  
"What a fascinating story…" Red XIII mused, his tail twitching in curiosity. He then turned to face her. "Wouldn't you agree, Amalthea?"  
  
"I suppose." She replied. "Though, something about it seemed…_off_."  
  
"So you noticed as well."  
  
"I find disturbing how he had trouble recalling certain details, like when he was visiting his own mother. But near the end, the memories became more clear. They were more recent."  
  
"Or he could never forget them. Either way it would explain a few things." Red XIII then got up, stretching out in a feline fashion. "I believe the others are waiting for us downstairs."  
  
Amalthea followed Red XIII downstairs to the lobby, where they found Barret handing out some sort of devices to the others; Aerith and Tifa noticed them when they got closer.  
  
"There you are." Tifa said. "We were wondering when you'd join us."  
  
Amalthea glanced at everyone, having come to a decision earlier.  
  
"Cloud." She said, and in response the blonde turned to her. "I want to join."  
  
This seemed to come as a surprised to others, though Cloud regarded her before speaking.  
  
"You do realize what you're getting yourself into, right?" He asked.  
  
"I'm fully aware. We could part ways at this point, but I know Shinra might be looking for me as well as your group. I admit I'm unable to wield any kind of weapon in my state, but I could use Materia if you were to provide it, though it's unlikely I would participate in battle as much. I could also hold on to whatever recovery items you have, along with keeping stock of supplies and distributing them whenever needed."  
  
The swordsman considered her proposition before nodding.  
  
"Very well. You'll oversee our healing supplies along stocking up and distribution in and outside of battle. We'll provide you Gil whenever you need to restock on items, so that you don't have to spend your earnings. We'll give you some Materia to start out with and provide any others if needed. It's only fair that you have some way to defend yourself."  
  
"Would you provide me a way to equip Materia?" She asked.  
  
"We happen to have an accessory you could use that has four separate slots." Tifa stated, pulling out a bangle that, as she claimed, had four slots. "Which Materia would you want to have?"  
  
"If you happen to have either Cure, Blizzard, Thunder, or Fire Materia to spare, I would request those."  
  
"Luckily, we can spare those for you."  
  
Cloud took the bangle from Tifa and equipped the four Materia Amalthea had requested before handing it to her. Barret approached her just as she placed the bangle around her left wrist.  
  
"You'll need one of these." Barret stated, handing her one of the devices he had been passing out.  
  
"What is this?" She asked, examining the device.  
  
"It's a PHS. You use it to call people, or us." He explained.  
  
"That way, we can keep in contact in case we get separated." Aerith told her.  
  
"Alright then, we're outta here." Barret declared.  
  
Following the others out of the Inn, Amalthea knew that it was only the beginning of things to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit that I changed up some dialogue for a few reasons: I was watching a walkthrough of the game that had the Reunion Mod (which provides a re-translation of the game; I believe it's only available for the PC and Steam version of the game) and fixed up the dialogue. I also used dialogue from Crisis Core for the parts that it covers for the Nibelheim Incident, while using the previous mentioned re-translation to fill in the blanks. There were certain bits of dialogue that I kept for reasons.
> 
> The amount of Gil mentioned in this chapter wasn't made up since I actually took the time to gather that much in game for a set amount of time. As for the names of the spells, I'm not using the ones from the game; for example, instead of 'Restore' it'll be 'Cure'.


	4. In Pursuit of Sephiroth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amalthea travels with Cloud and the others in their pursuit of Sephiroth, but they come across a situation that requires Chocobos as the solution.

After having exited the Inn back in Kalm, she had watched as the others spoke with the locals, trying to find a lead as to where Sephiroth went. During that process, Amalthea could overhear some of the villagers talking amongst themselves, some of them talking about the news of Rufus Shinra becoming the new president (one of them mentioning that he was badly hurt, and another having heard it was AVALANCHE that had attack the previous president and his son). Others mentioned how Mako energy made life easier, but at the cost of natural resources near the reactors being sucked dry (leading to mixed feelings on whether or not people were better off with relying on Make energy).  
  
Eventually, they found out about Sephiroth (or someone fitting his description) having headed east in the direction of a grassy field. Having found their lead, they had left Kalm and started heading east.  
  
Traveling with Cloud's group was interesting, to say the least.  
  
Most of the time they would simply be walking, and on occasion they would encounter monsters. While the others fought, Amalthea would stay back, only distributing items or casting Cure when necessary (rarely did she have to defend herself with offensive magic since Red XIII would protect her from time to time). She was glad she could contribute, even it was by only a little.  
  
She knew that the others were suspicious of her (she didn't blame them for being so), but she had no reason to let it bother her. Red XIII and Aerith trusted her (and she trusted them not to reveal her secret to the others), which she was grateful for. Tifa seemed to warm up to her (if their interaction back at the Inn was any indication), but it was a start. Cloud and Barret...they were another story. Out of everyone they were the two that were the most suspicious of her than everyone in their group, and justifiably so. Again, she didn't blame them, and they had their reasons.  
  
She didn't feel the need to go out of her way to get them to trust her, but if she managed to earn it, that would be that. For now, she'd contribute in her small way. She would tend to the injured in and out of battle when needed, while staying out of everyone's way.  
  
The last thing she wanted was to slow them down.  
  
(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)  
  
Amalthea's eyes shot open before she sat up, eyes wide as her left hand went to clutch her chest.  
  
Right over her heart.  
  
Why?  
  
Why did she have to remember that?  
  
"Nightmare?"  
  
She lifted her head, turning to the spot Cloud sat on the other side of the fire as he kept watch. She noted the clipboard held in his hand, the very one she had given to him back when she had met the others in the Shinra Building. So he had been reading through it.  
  
"You could say that." She replied.  
  
The blonde swordsman seemed to regard her before his eyes fellow to the hand she had clenched over her heart. This didn't escape her notice, and she seemed to know what he was thinking.  
  
"You're curious." She sighed quietly, managing to pull her hand away from her chest. After all, there was no reason for her to keep hold of it. "There are those who wish that certain experiences were nothing more than nightmares. I'm not different."  
  
"What was yours?" Cloud asked, referring to the reason she woke up.  
  
"…The day my condition was diagnosed. All it took was a simple game of tag."  
  
_Amalthea remembered how she'd been playing tag with her friends back in the Sector 8 Slums, back when it was easy to be ignorant of life's burden in such a setting; It got to the point that she ended up chasing her friends._  
  
_Then, she remembered the pain. It started with her heart beating faster that she had passed off as excitement, then she had trouble breathing, followed by the fear she felt as her body was racked with pain._  
  
_She recalled how her friends had gathered around her while they kept their distance, wondering if she was okay, thinking she could be faking her pain (though she started having trouble hearing them). But then she had passed out, not just because of the pain, but because she'd had trouble breathing._  
  
"Stop." Cloud suddenly said, bringing Amalthea back to reality. "That's all I need to know."  
  
She noticed how Cloud shifted slightly in his spot, as if seeming uncomfortable about something (though his face didn't betray that). It was at that point that she realized she was clutching her heart again. She must've done so when she was recounting that moment in her past.  
  
"My apologies." She said, lowering her hand again.  
  
"I can see why you'd wish it to only be a nightmare."  
  
"What followed afterwards didn't help, either, but that's a story for another time. I won't lie; I'm afraid that my condition might show up, despite being told I was cured. Like I told you, all it took was a game of tag for it to show up."  
  
"Then why did you decide to travel with us if you knew it was a possibility?" He asked.  
  
"Don't get me wrong, Cloud, I'm fully aware of the possible risks I'm taking, but the key word is 'possible'. My condition may never even show itself for the rest of my life, but it doesn't mean I'm not afraid of the 'what ifs'. Despite this, I can't let my fear get the best of me, not when I consider what's at stake. Even if Shinra weren't after me, I can't take the risk thinking otherwise."  
  
"There's more to it than that, isn't there?"  
  
Amalthea nodded.  
  
"I want to find my parents, and if I can, see the world. It's one thing to read a book and have something described to you, but…it's another to experience it in person. I've been removed from the world for 20 years and it wasn't until I escaped with your group that I got to see what was outside Midgar. I chose to travel, I know the risks, but the last thing I want to do is slow everyone down. I may wish to find my parents, but your objective is still the main focus."  
  
Cloud seemed to consider her words, placing the clipboard he held on the ground before returning his gaze to her.  
  
"I didn't expect you to be so determined. Not many people would be given your circumstances." He commented.  
  
"True, but I'm not like many people."  
  
She didn't expect the small smirk that appeared on the blonde man's face.  
  
"Then it looks like we won't have any problems getting along."  
  
(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)  
  
A few days later, the group arrived at a farm that raised Chocobos. Amalthea had been surprised to see the large yellow birds (not ever having encountered one until now) and had gone over to the fenced off pasture to watch them while the others went inside the house for information.  
  
As she watched the Chocobos graze, she couldn't help but think of how different they looked in comparison to the cartoon one she had colored years ago.  
  
_She remembered how she'd been given a coloring book and crayons to use by one of the doctors, having been glad to do something familiar (even if there was an assignment attached to it). She had been using a blue crayon to color the cartoon Chocobo's eyes when her imaginary friend had showed up. She had been startled when he made his presence known, causing her to accidentally color outside the line as blue colored wax invaded the uncolored territory of the Chocobo's feathered body._  
  
_She remembered pouting at him, having blamed him for ruining her picture, though he had apologized with a sheepish look on his face before asking how the picture was ruined. She told him that the doctor wanted the picture colored accurately, then told him what she believed: Chocobos aren't blue._  
  
_He went on to tell her that Chocobos could be different colors, saying that it depended on certain details for Chocobos to be born that way._  
  
"There you are!"  
  
Amalthea was pulled away from her thoughts and turned to find Aerith and Tifa heading over to where she stood by the fence.  
  
"We were wondering where you went." Tifa told her once the two women joined her. "I see you're enjoying the Chocobos."  
  
"I guess so." Amalthea agreed. "Any news?"  
  
"It looks like Sephiroth is heading towards the nearby Marshes." Aerith started. "Unfortunately, it turns out the only way to get safely across is by Chocobo."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"Turns out there's this giant serpent-like creature called the Midgar Zolom that just so happens to live there. Chocobos are the only way to avoid being attack by it."  
  
"I see." Amalthea looked around, unable to find the missing people in their group. "Where is Cloud and the others? Did they go to purchase any Chocobos?"  
  
"That's the thing." Tifa said, leaning against the side of the fence. "They don't have any Chocobos to sell, but they had a Chocobo Lure Materia they sold to us for 2,000 Gil." She made a face at this. "Practically highway robbery… Anyways, Cloud took Barret and Red XIII with him to catch some Chocobos."  
  
"So, it's just a matter of waiting now."  
  
"Wark!"  
  
Amalthea jumped upon hearing the unexpected sound, only to be startled by how close one of the Chocobos had gotten to her as it stretched its head to nudge her. On reflex she backed up a bit, but that didn't seem to bother the large bird in the slightest. She could hear Tifa and Aerith giggling at her reaction.  
  
"Someone seems to like you." Aerith commented through her laughter.  
  
She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, and the Chocobo in front of her seemed to expect something from her, tilting its head to the side in curiosity. Hesitantly, she reached a hand out, and was surprised that the large bird allowed her to pet it.  
  
"Well…aren't you quite the majestic creature." She said, unsure of what to say.  
  
At this the Chocobo pulled its head back, standing up tall and puffing out its chest before strutting off to where the other Chocobos were. The girls let out another laugh after having witnessed the scene.  
  
"You just gave that Chocobo an ego boost!" Tifa laughed.  
  
She did? She glanced over to the Chocobo she had petted, watching as it seemed to communicate something to the other Chocobos in the pasture. They then started gathering close to where she, Tifa, and Aerith were, before something unexpected happened.  
  
The Chocobos started dancing!  
  
Amalthea didn't know what to make of the sight before her, but it seemed to make her feel…light-hearted. The feeling…almost reminded her of her childhood, back when the world wasn't so complicated. Back when…  
  
The Chocobos soon concluded their dance, the one she had petted earlier seeming to push something with its beak as it made its way over to her, and as it got closer she noticed that what the Chocobo was pushing looked to be a red orb. When it made it over to where she was, the Chocobo stood up.  
  
"Wark—" It jumped in the air, stretching its wings out in joy.  
  
Amalthea knelt down to pick up the red orb, soon realizing it was a red Materia. As she held it in her hand, the image of a Chocobo and a Moogle appeared in her head, and she could sense…excitement…joy…eagerness. But unlike other Materia she had held, she didn't learn its ability.  
  
"That's a Summon Materia!" Tifa exclaimed.  
  
"What does it summon?" Aerith asked.  
  
"It seems to be a Chocobo and a Moogle." She told them.  
  
"Well, I'll be!"  
  
Amalthea, Aerith, and Tifa turned towards the voice, only to find a little red haired girl wearing red, her blue eyes wide in excitement as she rushed over to them.  
  
"The Chocobos must be in a good mood if they decided to dance." The little girl said. "I'm Chole, by the way. I help my brother and Grandpa with the Chocobos."  
  
"Is it true?" Amalthea asked. "That Chocobos can be different colors?"  
  
"Of course! Depending on the quality of the Chocobos used in breeding, along with which Greens and Nuts you feed it, you can get all sorts of colors."  
  
"I see. Thank you."  
  
"Not a problem, ma'am." Chole then turned to the Chocobo waiting at the fence. "I see Sunny here has taken a liking to you. Normally he's picky as far as strangers go, but he seems fine with you. Grandpa always says Chocobos are good judges of character."  
  
"Well, if that's the case, then it seems you're not so bad, after all." Tifa commented, giving Amalthea a warm smile.  
  
"She wouldn't be the only one." Aerith giggled, pointing in the direction away from the pasture. "From the looks of it, Cloud seems to fall under that category as well."  
  
Both Amalthea and Tifa turned around, the latter letting out a laugh upon seeing the sight of one of the three Chocobos (which were being led by both humans in the group) seeming to be preening the hair of a chagrined Cloud, as if the large bird had mistaken his hair for the feathers of its species. It was a wonder that Barret and Red XIII were capable of keeping straight faces, but Amalthea had a feeling that it was a difficult task.  
  
(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)  
  
Since Cloud, Barret, and Red XIII had managed to capture three Chocobos (that was all they were able to obtain due to the difficulty of the task), it was decided that everyone was to pair up with each other in order to make the most out of their new mounts. Tifa and Aerith had decided to ride together, while Barret had offered to take Red XIII with him (given his size, he made up for the weight of two people when coupled with the red creature), leaving Amalthea to be paired with Cloud. She had no qualms with this arrangement, and she had no reason not to trust Cloud with her life by this point in time.  
  
In addition to that, she had no knowledge as to how to ride a Chocobo.  
  
So here she was, sitting behind Cloud on their shared Chocobo (Tifa and Barret commandeered the Chocobos in their respective group) and feeling unsure of what to do as they all lingered at the edge of the Marsh, aware of the danger that lurked within.  
  
"We all know the plan. Once your group steps foot in the Marsh, you're on your own. It'll stay that way until you reach the other side, where the Mythril Mine is located." Cloud explained to everyone. "The Midgar Zolom will be after us as soon as we enter. No matter what, stay on your Chocobo and don't slow down or stop for anything."  
  
Amalthea felt a sense of dread at the thought of the Midgar Zolom. She recalled having once read about the serpentine creature (it's binomial name being Midgardsormr) being over 30 feet tall, and being capable of sensing the footsteps of those that entered its territory. Not only was it swift, but it was just as deadly.  
  
And yet, the Chocobos were the only chance they had to evade the Midgar Zolom.  
  
"Amalthea." Cloud suddenly said, breaking her away from her thoughts. "You might want to hold on tight. Something tells me this'll be a bumpy ride."  
  
Upon hearing this, Amalthea hesitantly wrapped her arms around Cloud's waist. She couldn't help but be reminded of as to why she was so hesitant.  
  
_She remembered how she had been upset one time and her imaginary friend had managed to cheer her up. She had been so grateful that she responded by giving him a hug. What she hadn't expected was his reaction, which had him going tense. At first, she thought he didn't like being touched (and had quickly pulled away in response), but then it turned out that wasn't the case._  
  
_It was at that time they both discovered they could make physical contact with each other, much to their surprise. Neither Amalthea or her friend knew how or why they could do so (he had mentioned that it felt strange when she did), but she had made the decision to keep physical contact between them to a minimum if it could be helped._  
  
Amalthea was pulled out of her thoughts when the Chocobo suddenly jerked to the right in order to make a sharp turn, and it was then she noticed that the large bird seemed frantic. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed the water of the marshland rapidly shifting as something large moved beneath its surface. Her gray eyes widened as she realized the cause.  
  
The Midgar Zolom!  
  
Cloud seemed more than aware of the situation and was doing his best to keep the bird cooperative despite the danger they were both in. She forced herself to look away from the shifting water to look at the horizon in order the gauge how much further they had to go, but soon realized that it was pointless as she had no way to determine the distance.  
  
"How much farther?" She asked, her voice composed in comparison to how she currently felt.  
  
"Not that much. We're almost to the end!" He told her. "Think you can do something to slow it down?"  
  
She glanced back over her shoulder, noting the water.  
  
"Freezing specific spots of the water has a high probability of slowing the Midgar Zolom. I will commence an effort." She answered.  
  
"Do that!"  
  
Amalthea took a deep breath to calm her nerves before pulling her left arm away from where she had it wrapped around Cloud's waist. She did her best to keep her balance—she commended the blonde swordsman for doing his best to keep the Chocobo steady—as she waved her hand towards the direction of the Midgar Zolom, casting Blizzard at the water itself. Just as she had hoped, the spell managed to freeze a portion of the water enough to provide a temporary barricade that delayed the giant serpent by a few seconds before it was forced to go around.  
  
She kept this up, making sure to create more ice barricades for every one that was either destroyed or bypassed by the Midgar Zolom. As the chase continued, she couldn't help but feel a sense of elation, not only knowing that she was contributing, but because at that moment she had a purpose: to make sure that they got out of the Marsh in one piece.  
  
She now knew what it meant to have a purpose.  
  
Even if it was just for that one moment in time.  
  
Amalthea lost track of time due to how focused she was on her task, and it wasn't until the Chocobo had come to an abrupt halt that she realized they had made it to the other side of the Marsh (also seeing Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Red XIII helped too). As everyone was dismounting their Chocobos, Cloud got down from their shared Chocobo before turning around and assisting her in getting off as well, to which she gave a brief nod in thanks. Amalthea turned back to the large bird before reaching a hand to caress the side of its head.  
  
"Thank you for getting us this far. You were a very brave Chocobo and I applaud your courage." She told the large bird.  
  
In response, the Chocobo leaned its head down, nuzzling her a bit before pulling back. It seemed to communicate with the other Chocobos before they went off on their own, leaving the group behind to watch their departure.  
  
"C'mon." Cloud suddenly said, catching everyone's attention. "We gotta keep moving. The Mythril Mine should be up ahead."  
  
Amalthea followed the others down the path, and she couldn't help but notice something in the distance. A strange shape stretching towards the sky. As the group got closer, the shape gained more features. Her stomach seemed to drop when they all realized what it was too late.  
  
A Midgar Zolom brutally impaled on what was left of a tree, blood still oozing out and staining the bark and the body of the serpent.  
  
Shocked upon seeing the sight everyone ran forward to get a better look, unease setting in the longer they looked at the dead corpse of the giant serpent.  
  
"Did Sephiroth...do this?" Cloud ask, being the first to speak.  
  
Sephiroth was responsible for this?  
  
"This Sephiroth guy's pretty strong, I'd say." Barret commented, crossing his arms.  
  
Was he that strong?  
  
"Amazing..." Tifa said quietly.  
  
"Our enemy is someone that could do this?" Aerith asked.  
  
"It's a power that we should respect…" Red XIII mused.  
  
Amalthea had trouble comprehending the sight before her. The Midgar Zolom was one of the most dangerous creatures on the Planet, and yet this Sephiroth had managed to render such a creature in its current state with some degree of ease.  
  
This Sephiroth…  
  
He…  
  
There was no way…  
  
…he could be human.  
  
But he was experimented on.  
  
But so was she.  
  
She was capable of learning and using magic without the aid of Materia.  
  
Did that mean that she was…?  
  
She shook her head to clear her thoughts.  
  
Preposterous.  
  
"The blood is still fresh." She noted. "This was recent."  
  
"Then we're on the right track." Cloud commented.  
  
They continued up ahead and found the entrance to the Mythril Mine not that far from the impaled Midgar Zolom.  
  
(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)  
  
Amalthea found that the Mythril Mine lived up to its name.  
  
Despite its location, the mine wasn't dark inside due to the occasional fissures that allowed natural light to leak through; where the sunlight failed to illuminate, the Mythril imbedded along the rock wall served as a perfect alternative with the soft silvery glow it radiated (she remembered having once read of Mythril being laced with strong magic, which would explain the glowing). She found herself mesmerized by the mine's namesake, having never seen anything like it; no images in any book could do the ore justice.  
  
Other than that, the journey through the Mythril Mine was uneventful, with only a few encounters with some monsters that lurked within to break up the monotony.  
  
As Amalthea followed the others, she couldn't help but think back to her imaginary friend. What would he think of the glowing Mythril, or how the lighting made the inside of the mine look as if sunlight and moonlight co-existed in perfect harmony despite being opposites?  
  
Would he have marveled at the sight?  
  
Would he have smiled?  
  
She knew it was foolish to contemplate such thoughts, and yet they helped to give her a sense of security now that she was seeing the world with her own eyes.  
  
'_Yes._' She answered, coming to a realization. '_He would have smiled. He would have continued to encourage me._'  
  
"Just a second!"  
  
Upon hearing the deep voice Amalthea looked up, the others having stopped upon seeing the man that stood in their way.  
  
He was a tall man with tanned skin and a shaved head, the only hair he had seeming to be his eyebrows and the small black goatee that graced his stern face (she noted the multiple ear piercings he had). She had no way of telling what eye color he had due to the sunglasses he wore. The outfit he wore consisted of a black suit and tie, making the man look professional.  
  
From beside her, Red XIII stepped forward, and to her surprised he started growling.  
  
"…I hoped I'd never see you again…" Red XIII growled.  
  
So Red XIII knew who this person was?  
  
"Do you know who I am?" The man asked.  
  
"The Turks, right?" Cloud answered.  
  
The Turks?  
  
Now that it was mentioned, Amalthea had once heard that word before, along with recognizing the outfit this man wore.  
  
The last time she had seen it…  
  
"Well if you know, then this won't take long. It's difficult to explain what the Turks do..."  
  
"Kidnapping, right?" The ex-SOLDIER shrugged.  
  
At this the man crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the ground.  
  
"To put it negatively...you could say that. ...But, that's not all there is to it anymore."  
  
At this the stern man's gaze fell to the ground, and she noted how uncomfortable he looked as he shifted in place. It was clear that this was a man who wasn't used to talking so much.  
  
"Sir!"  
  
Looking in the direction of the feminine voice, the group spotted a young woman standing on a stone outcropping high up, having short blonde hair and brown eyes. She wore a female version of the black suit and tie that the stern man wore, and Amalthea presumed that the attire was a uniform.  
  
"It's all right, Rude!" The woman said. "I know you don't like speeches, so don't force it!"  
  
"Then explain, Elena." The man (Rude), offered.  
  
Despite her composure, the woman, Elena, seemed eager as she turned her attention to their group.  
  
"I'm the newest member of the Turks, Elena. Thanks to what you did to Reno, we're short-handed. ...But, because of that, I got promoted to the Turks... Anyhow, our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed. And to try and stop you every step of the way." Elena expression crumbled, becoming somewhat flustered and turning away as she realized something. "Wait a minute, it's the other way around… You're the ones that are getting in our way."  
  
"...Elena. You talk too much."  
  
Another one?  
  
Sure enough, another man wearing the same outfit approached, standing on the ledge behind Rude. This one had dark brown eyes and black hair that went a little past shoulder length. What she found interesting was the dot in the middle of his forehead.  
  
"Mr. Tseng!?" Elena exclaimed.  
  
"No need to tell them about our orders." The man, Tseng, told her.  
  
"Sorry...Tseng." She looked sheepish at this.  
  
"I thought I gave your orders. Now go. Don't forget to file your report."  
  
"Oh! Right!" Elena clicked her heels together. "Very well, Rude and I will go after Sephiroth, who's heading for Junon Harbor!"  
  
So Sephiroth was heading to Junon Harbor.  
  
Interesting…  
  
Tseng let out a sigh at this, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  
"...Elena. You don't seem to understand."  
  
Elena's eyes widened as she realized her mistake.  
  
"Oh! I'm, I'm sorry..." Elena apologized.  
  
He shook his head at this.  
  
"...Go. Don't let Sephiroth get away."  
  
"Yes sir!" Both Rude and Elena said.  
  
While Elena started climbing down from the outcropped she had been on, Rude used the tree roots growing nearby to climb up to the ledge where Tseng was, but stopped to turn back to their group.  
  
"...Reno said he wanted to see you after the injuries you gave him healed." Rude told them. "He wants to show his affection for you all...with a new weapon."  
  
With that Rude left, likely heading towards the nearby exit. As soon as his co-workers were gone Tseng approached them, though he remained on the ledge.  
  
"Well, then..." Tseng trailed off before turning to face Aerith, the woman coming forward as she met his gaze. "Aerith… Long time no see. Looks like you're safe from Shinra for a while, now that Sephiroth reappeared."  
  
"What are you saying? That I should be grateful to Sephiroth?" Aerith asked skeptically.  
  
"No... I won't be seeing much of you, so take care."  
  
Aerith frowned at this.  
  
"...Strange, hearing that from you."  
  
"Well then, stay out of Shinra's way."  
  
Having nothing more to say, Tseng left. Amalthea followed Cloud and the others as they used the tree roots to climb up to the ledge (she was thankful when Tifa helped to pull her up), and seeing the light that pooling in from the exit, they went through.  
  
They had made it through the Mythril Mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I bet you noticed all the flashbacks Amalthea had in this chapter, and I will admit that I wrote the flashbacks out in full (the ones you read in this chapter, and the one from the last chapter, are summarized). I plan on make a side story where I'll post the the flashbacks (Amalthea's memories) in chronological order. Expect to see it in the very near future.
> 
> Also, for those that has issues concerning the whole Midgar Zolom vs. Midgardsormr, I found a way to satisfy both parties! You're welcome!


End file.
